Chapter 74: Childhood Secret

This was an unexpected turn of events.

Amos was not only unaware that Aresia would have a prospective fiancé, but he also had no inkling of this particular secret.

When he finally learned of it, Amos was taken aback. His previous admiration for Jorgus had turned into critical scrutiny of his future brother-in-law.

He gazed at Aresia pensively, his face a mix of accusation and disappointment. “Didn’t you admit last time that the rumors were false?”

In the blink of an eye, the rumors not only became true but escalated further.

During their recent wilderness adventure, which was supposed to be a break from their usual teamwork, there had been no contact between them during this entire month of vacation. Amos couldn’t fathom how they had suddenly leapt to an engagement.

As for the truth of the matter, Amos was left to speculate, as Aresia felt genuinely apologetic for inadvertently involving him. She pondered whether to tell her parents and hoped they wouldn’t disclose the truth to him.

If it weren’t for Aresia’s involvement, he wouldn’t have been pressed into a marriage proposal. Amos was resolute in his character and unwilling to change his original stance, yet he complied to the arranged engagement and marriage.

Though he was willing to marry, it was quite a predicament for the entire Rogest family. Aresia assured him that it wasn’t solely because of her, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him the real reason, leaving him to conclude that Jorgus had truly crossed a line.

Feeling the weight of Amos’s reproach, Aresia privately apologized to him.

Despite this, Jorgus was not displeased by Amos’s change in attitude, believing it was a fair trade and that Amos should understand.

The usually independent Jorgus felt a twinge of envy. “It shows that he truly cares for his little sister.”

Aresia chuckled. “Yes, he’s always been a protective brother, no matter the circumstances.”

Initially hesitant, Jorgus eventually agreed to visit, as Grysenna warmly invited them to stay for a few days, hoping they could cultivate a rapport and avoid growing distant from each other, something unsuitable for young people in love.

Although Jorgus’s presence might disrupt Aresia’s work, this time, it was a genuine and sincere invitation from Aresia, and she assured him of her hospitality.

Jorgus had initially declined, but due to Grysenna’s reasoning, especially considering Aresia’s busy schedule, he finally gives in. “I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“No, I set aside these few days specifically.”

With Jorgus’s agreement, the Duke’s household staff was notified, and preparations were made accordingly.

Why did Jorgus stay? To withstand Amos’s reproach – although it was more of Jorgus coming in for brief sparring matches with Amos and arranging intense training sessions under the guise of giving pointers.

In reality, it wasn’t Jorgus seeking it. He didn’t reject any opportunity to become stronger.

Yet, Amos was being too harsh, and others were unwilling, especially Grysenna, who had invited him to facilitate Jorgus’s interaction with Aresia, not to be disturbed by Amos.

However, Aresia and Jorgus did have some time to spend together. Truth be told, at first, they felt awkward. Despite knowing it was artificial, assuming an intimate relationship seemed to have erased their previous harmonious interaction, leaving only an awkwardness that lingered.

This situation didn’t persist for long. Once they realized this, both of them made efforts to break the ice.

Aresia’s approach was to take Jorgus on a tour of the alchemy workshop and the mage tower. She even procured four newly made magic hoverboards from the alchemy workshop for him to take to Rony and the others.

“The hoverboards are in slow mode by default. You can adjust them to fast mode. It’s my brother’s design. When we play, we usually find an open area to practice before venturing into crowded spaces.”

Jorgus didn’t postpone. He was familiar with the alchemy workshop’s production mode and knew that these magic hoverboards were not difficult to manufacture, although their cost was likely high. Nonetheless, as they were a special gift from Aresia, he chose to accept them.

“I’ll thank for Vic and the others behalf.”

Jorgus chose to break the odd atmosphere between them by engaging in conversation.

Despite not being much of a talker, when necessary, he didn’t hold back.

Moreover, Jorgus did have something to tell Aresia.

“The trial by the border, the investigation has already come through.”

“Hmm?”

Aresia was only just beginning to realize that something had been amiss with the trial. It had been lingering for too long, and it was about time for a response.

As the captain of the trial squad, Jorgus had already received notice from the border. On Aresia’s end, given her absence from Holy Lotean City during this period, there was no straightforward way to convey the message.

Upon learning this, Aresia inquired, “How did it turn out?”

At this, Jorgus looked apologetic. “As we speculated, it was indeed targeted at me.”

It was quite simple: a noble, out of jealousy, had bribed the school’s teacher to sabotage their trial tasks.

The audacity of these actions, coupled with the lack of concern for implicating the Duke’s family, was not due to any genuine prowess but rather a severe lack of sound judgment. The individual didn’t perceive their actions as problematic and believed they were discreet enough to avoid detection.

Aresia realized that the culprit was a high-ranking novice, and with a father who was a lord and a mother from a renowned lineage, the combination of his status and abilities had led to him being excessively indulged and praised, creating a distorted sense of superiority.

It was only when he entered the royal academy that he realized there were others around him who were more capable, with some even surpassing his own status. This sudden realization destabilized him, as he was unaccustomed to being overshadowed and didn’t dare to act against those of higher status.

The dissatisfaction of some individuals was channeled towards Jorgus, a commoner. As a warrior, it was primarily about strength, and Jorgus’s response was straightforward – confront those who caused trouble and settle the matter without any unnecessary discussion.

Some accepted his strength, while others, particularly those who felt increasingly envious of Jorgus, were dissatisfied. The noble who had orchestrated the scheme was among them.

Others who were dissatisfied didn’t dare to cause trouble openly, but this individual was bold enough to bribe the school’s teacher, disregarding the fact that Jorgus’s teammate was Aresia, the daughter of the duke. This act brought trouble to their family.

It was perplexing.

Jorgus explained, “The teacher involved in this incident has two sisters who were not well-regarded and were married off early to other nobles, and the nature of these alliances wasn’t favorable.”

Aresia realized that a boy raised in a family that favored males over females would likely hold a disdain for women. In the case of this noble family, Aresia might have lost her position as the primary heir due to this, and it wasn’t an isolated issue. It was even possible that Aresia herself was an object of his envy.

On Aresia’s end, it was likely that he believed no one would suspect him, and even if Aresia harbored grievances, he might not have blamed the other members of the team. However, as the team leader, Jorgus bore the brunt of the conflict, and this ultimately led to their direct confrontation.

Upon reflection, Aresia casually remarked, “Schemes are indeed varied, but it’s a pity when they stray from the right path.”

“I inquired about the school’s handling of the matter.”

“The involved teacher has been dismissed and will never be employed here again.”

This was not only to satisfy the Duke’s family but also to serve as a warning, preventing others from attempting similar schemes in the future.

Despite Headmaster Albert’s usual amiable appearance, when it came to crossing the line, he didn’t hesitate, especially within the prestigious environment of the royal academy. If left unregulated, it would have led to chaos. Thus, Headmaster Albert took swift and decisive action by removing them.

This outcome left Aresia pleased.

In this environment, the fewer such incidents, the better. If the school didn’t address them, Aresia would have found it challenging to make the individual retreat, as she hoped for a tranquil campus.

On the other hand, Jorgus wasn’t willing to let the individual seek further underhanded opportunities.

Now that the school had handled the situation, there was nothing more to be done.

Aresia quickly changed the subject, “By the way, did you manage to find a suitable beast egg at the auction?”

“No.”

In response, Jorgus seemed resigned. Recently, there had been a surge in the trend of owning contract beasts, and the magical creatures in Holy Lotean City were highly sought after.