Episode 76. Will It Be Profitable?
Vernel arrived at Hallim and stood in the hallway, holding some documents. It was the path leading to his room. He knew where his room was, and he wasn’t lost. But still, he wandered, as if waiting for something.
“Vernel.”
A deep voice called out. A man with shining hair, once famous as the “Sunlight Mage” because his bright hair brought joy to many. Normally, Vernel would have smiled at the memory, but not this time.
“A-Ah, hello, Headmaster! It’s been a long time since the Academy.”
“Yes, it has been a while.”
“I heard you gave me the main spot. I truly appreciate the opportunity—”
“What is that?”
The headmaster cut him off, looking at the papers in Vernel’s hands.
“This is my presentation for the upcoming seminar. I worked hard to refine it, but it’s still difficult, so I wanted to get your feedback, Headmaster.”
“You want me to check it?”
“Yes.”
“…Hand it over.”
Headmaster Bernard quickly scanned the papers. His sharp gaze made Vernel nervous, his mouth going dry. Then, finally, Bernard chuckled.
Was that a good sign? No. It was not a kind smile but a mocking one.
“Vernel Marquis, I’m extremely disappointed in you.”
“W-What do you mean?” Vernel tried to stay polite as he asked.
“The efficiency is only 12%. What do you plan to do about that?”
“I’m steadily improving it.”
“So, you’ll present something barely functional and let them laugh at you? Are you trying to embarrass the Regent Valdrova, who believed in you?”
Vernel was stunned. His research wasn’t just an improvement of an existing theory—it was a completely new discovery. Even 12% efficiency was a great achievement.
Bernard continued,
“Does anyone even understand the formula you created? Even I find it messy. You only discovered the formula; your progress in improving it is too slow. If I had it, I would have raised the efficiency much faster. Do you know why I can say that so confidently?”
“……”
“Vernel, your vision is too narrow. You’re so focused on that 1% that you can’t see how to improve by 10%.”
Bernard shoved the presentation papers back into Vernel’s chest.
“I’m very disappointed. You were better off chasing unrealistic dreams. Right now, you’re a complete mess.”
With that, Bernard turned and walked away. Vernel just stood there, staring at the ground. For a long time, he didn’t move.
Ferda had been watching everything. He saw how Bernard mocked Vernel and left him crushed. And he thought,
‘Did I misjudge Bernard?’
Bernard had given Vernel the main spot in the seminar. It was a big deal in the academic world, and Ferda assumed it was an act of kindness. But no. Bernard was not supporting Vernel. He was setting him up to fail. The higher you rise, the harder you fall. Was he trying to destroy Vernel completely?
‘If that’s the case…’ What should I do?
“Oh! Regent, we meet here!”
Bernard suddenly greeted Ferda in a friendly manner. A moment ago, he had looked like a villain, but now, he was all smiles, acting polite.
“Ah, I was just talking to a merchant named Stephan Pascal about the main event—”
“Do you really think he’s foolish?”
“…What do you mean?”
Ferda cut him off, staring sharply. Bernard looked confused at first, then his expression changed.
“You overheard, didn’t you?”
Ferda remained silent. Bernard sighed.
“I must have shown you an unpleasant sight.”
Yes, he did. Ferda had seen enough to know how cruel Bernard could be.
“Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t trying to harm Vernel.”
Ferda frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Vernel Marquis was once a prodigy. In the Academy, he was the top student, and scholars believed he would change the world.”
But that bright future didn’t happen. Everyone knew that. Bernard sighed again.
“But when he showed us his research, we were shocked. His ideas were completely unrealistic. We tried to stop him and guide him to a more practical path, but he refused to listen. Do you know what happens to people like that?”
“……”
“They become obsessed and lose their minds.”
“But Vernel didn’t go mad.”
“Yes. He succeeded.”
“Then why are you trying to break him?”
“If I didn’t, he wouldn’t grow further.” Bernard’s voice was calm.
“Vernel is a genius, but he must not limit himself to what others understand. He shouldn’t waste time trying to explain his discoveries to people like me. He must follow his own path.”
Ferda understood. Bernard was a genius, but Vernel was even beyond that. Bernard knew he was no longer capable of guiding Vernel, so he chose a different approach.
“He will fight to prove me wrong. He will use his skills to surpass my expectations. If his idea is truly revolutionary, he must go beyond what I can comprehend. And when he does, he will succeed.”
It was not hatred. It was a push to force Vernel to evolve.
“And what if he takes the wrong path?” Ferda asked, almost as if speaking to himself.
But Bernard answered without hesitation.
“Vernel is not the type to cheat or take shortcuts. He always faces challenges head-on. He is a true scholar, searching for absolute truth.”
Bernard gave a small bow.
“But if he does go astray, please tell him that I am a petty and narrow-minded man who cannot accept his brilliance. That should make him even more determined.”
With that, Bernard walked past Ferda and left. There was no point in stopping him.
‘Now I’m curious.’ Ferda wondered—how would Vernel respond? Would he collapse under the pressure? Or would he prove Bernard wrong?
Ferda decided to check on him. He found Vernel’s room. The door was slightly open.
Inside, Vernel sat at a table. His shoulders trembled. His breathing was unsteady. Tears dripped down, but his hands never stopped moving.
“Alright… Damn it… I just need to improve my efficiency, right?” His voice shook, but he kept working.
“If I can get it to 20% by next month… They’ll have no choice but to acknowledge me… Damn it…”
Determination and revenge filled his voice. He was using his anger as fuel to keep going. Revenge was like that. It made exhaustion disappear. It gave people the strength to focus.
‘The difference between us is…’ Vernel was taking the right path.
Ferda silently closed the door and left.
“Move that thing over there. It looked better when we first set it up. Be careful with that!”
Stephan Pascal examined the interior design plans while giving instructions.
“Boss, we brought the goods. Where should we put them?”
“Good. Hang them on that wall! Use the hooks!”
“Got it!”
“Check the latch one more time. This is an important item! If something happens, I could lose my head!”
The item was a sample of a magic stone and a weapon that used it. To show future potential, they also brought design plans. It was a long pipe with complex wires and glass tubes attached. They called it the Magitech Rifle.
‘That’s a weapon?’ The researchers said it was powerful, but no one had ever seen it in action. Would it even work?
“Oh my, brother? Fancy meeting you here.”
A familiar voice entered Stephan’s ears. It wasn’t unexpected. Since all merchants were attending the exhibition, it was obvious the Pascal family would come.
Even so, Stephan always found Tilda’s presence uncomfortable. He did not like dealing with her.
“Did you come alone?”
“No, of course not. I came with my fiancé. See? Over there, Henri!”
A man walked over with a bright smile. A fat man in his mid-30s. Henri Dandolo. The heir to one of the largest trading companies in the Empire.
“Tilda, my love. Here’s the cocktail you wanted.”
The chubby man grinned and handed her a glass. Tilda, a beautiful, slender woman with black hair, stared at it. She pouted and looked at him with teary eyes.
“This is Cherry Bomb, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah?”
“But I wanted Blue Sapphire…” She swayed her shoulders and blinked her eyes.
Henri chuckled awkwardly and nodded.
“Oh, my mistake. I’ll get a new one!”
“Thank you. You really are the best.”
“Brother-in-law! We can talk later!”
“Uh, sure…”
Tilda smiled sweetly. Henri looked happy and rushed off to get another cocktail. Stephan frowned.
“Why are you making your fiancé run errands instead of your servants?”
“Why do you think so? I can’t stand the sight of him.”
Tilda smirked. She always acted polite in front of others, but not with Stephan. That meant she saw him as weak.
“Does he know your true nature?”
“Of course not. A man who hasn’t even undressed me wouldn’t have such insight.”
“If I tell him about this conversation, I bet he’ll love it.”
“If you have the guts, go ahead.”
This was how she always acted. She liked to manipulate people as if she controlled everything. She had always been this way. When she didn’t like someone, she trapped them, ruined them, or hurt them deeply. At first, it was childish tricks, but as she grew older, she became more cunning. Stephan feared her. Even though he had seen the monster behind her smiling face, he still couldn’t fully understand how dangerous she was.
“Is this the item you’re supporting from the Far East?” She covered her mouth with a fan and looked up at the Magitech Rifle.
“Yes.”
“It’s cute. You brought something like this?” She pretended to examine it closely, then quickly lost interest.
“It looks more like an art piece to me.” She was asking if it was even useful.
“Of course, it’s useful.”
“How does it work?”
“Well, you pull this part, and then do this and that… and it just works.”
As Stephan’s words became more uncertain, Tilda’s smile grew wider.
“You’ve never seen it in action, have you?”
“…”
“Well, it’s just an exhibition. You can display unfinished items, and no one will know. Oh, wait.” She tilted her head and tapped her chin with a finger.
“Isn’t there a demonstration?”
She already knew. She had information about the magic stones, so of course, she knew about the main presentation.
“You’ve never tested it before. What if it explodes during the event? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
“…It would.”
“It looks nice as a display, but… hmm. I wonder if it will make money? Father was right. The East seems useless.”
A crescent-moon smile spread across her lips. That expression. It was the same one she always used to humiliate him in the Pascal family.
“Don’t worry, little sister.”
But today was different. Stephan felt more confident than usual.
“While you’re clinging to some man’s legs, I’m holding onto my patron’s shoulders.”
A crude insult. But it worked perfectly. Tilda’s sharp glare turned to him. Her hands trembled with anger. Stephan shouldn’t have been able to talk back to her. But now, he had powerful support.
‘Still, she’s scary as hell.’ Thinking about the past, when she used to slap him whenever she wanted, made cold sweat run down his back.
“Will you move aside?”
A voice came from behind her. Her twisted expression instantly smoothed out as she turned. A tall man with gray hair and blue eyes. He wore a black uniform with red accents. Though young, his aura was overwhelming.
‘This man is Ferda Valdrova.’ A ruthless killer who had slain Thessalos Walcher. His cold face looked complicated, but it was enough to capture Tilda’s attention.
She smiled sweetly and greeted him politely.
“Hello, Regent Valdrova. I am Tilda Pascal—”
“I don’t care who you are. Move.”
“…Excuse me?” Ferda cut her off. His words were harsh, but she couldn’t even get angry.
The moment she met his icy blue eyes, her blood froze.
“I said, get out of my sight.”
