(Arin's POV)
My question hung in the air smelling of old paper and dust, heavy and demanding a definite answer.
"Who is fighting whom in the Palace?"
I stared straight at Elena, waiting for her to leak the dark royal secrets hidden all this time. My imagination was already running wild, picturing the worst-case scenario where we had to pack our bags and leave the academy tonight, becoming war fugitives crushed between fighting political elephants. Visions of bloody coups, regicide, or impending foreign invasions spun wildly in my head.
However, Elena showed no signs of faltering. She did not pale in the slightest.
Instead, she sighed softly, as if dealing with a little brother who had just woken from a nightmare and needed calming. She picked up the elegant porcelain teapot with a composed movement, then poured warm tea back into my empty cup.
Jasmine-scented steam billowed gently, blurring the tension that had just built up.
"Drink, Arin," Elena said softly, her voice as stable as a lake surface undisturbed by the wind. "You are too tense. Your brain jumped too far ahead, skipping ten steps you should have tread one by one."
"Elena, I am serious," I pressed, not touching the cup. My hands were still clenched tightly on the table. "Elian moves like someone who knows this ship is going to sink. He took logistics, not money. That is war preparation. If there is a civil war..."
"If there is a civil war, it is the business of Dukes and Generals, not the business of first-year students who just passed a survival exam," Elena cut in firmly. Her tone did not rise, but there was an absolute authority there that forced me into silence.
She placed the teapot back with a soft clink.
"Do not look at the mountain peak when your feet are still entangled in tree roots, Arin. You will fall and break your neck," she continued wisely. "The kingdom is indeed unstable. The three pillars of power, the Royalists, the Reformists, and the Military are indeed cracking. But we..."
Elena looked at all of us surrounding the round table.
"...we are merely ants that just managed to bite an elephant's foot. We do not yet have enough power to play on the national chessboard. We just secured one small square in this school."
She turned toward Kars Benzzi. The young man still looked messy, his tie askew, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look like an exhausted walking corpse.
"And even that square... its foundation is still severely cracked. Is that right, Kars?" asked Elena sharply.
All eyes shifted to Kars.
The new heir of the Benzzi Family leaned his back against the chair roughly. He massaged his temples, his face gloomy and full of heavy burdens.
"Elena is right," mumbled Kars, his voice sounding heavy and hoarse. "You think I have won because I control the casino and Karl is locked in the rehabilitation room? That is naive thinking."
Erika, whose mouth was full of biscuits, stopped chewing for a moment. "Aren't you a hero already? You saved the students from the gas. Everyone praises you. Even the school newspaper wrote your name on the front page."
Kars laughed. A laugh that was dry, bitter, and contained not the slightest bit of humor.
"Student praise and newspaper articles mean nothing in my Father's eyes," argued Kars.
He straightened his body, looking at us one by one seriously.
"You do not know Duke Benzzi. My father is a conservative old man who worships power above all else. To him, blood and steel are the only valid currencies."
Kars pointed toward the exit, toward the dormitory where his brother was locked up.
"Karl might have made a fatal mistake. He might have embarrassed the family with that gas scandal. But in Father's eyes... Karl remains the strong 'Young Lion'. He is the talented Eldest Son, a high-level Aura user, and possesses military charisma capable of mobilizing troops. Father sees this failure merely as... 'tripping over a rock'."
Kars pointed at himself with his thumb, his expression full of self-mockery.
"While me? I am merely 'The Spare'. The second son who happened to be lucky because his older brother fell ill. Father let me manage the casino and take over temporarily only to test if I am useful as a manager, not as a Leader."
"So your position is not yet secure?" I asked, beginning to understand the direction of the conversation. Our victory in court apparently had not resolved the core issue.
"Very insecure," interjected Rose from the corner of the sofa. She was twirling her dagger out of boredom, but her eyes were sharply observing Kars.
"In the tradition of military families like Benzzi and Carlos, money alone cannot buy the throne, Kars," explained Rose. "You need Swords. You need the loyalty of the Vassals or subordinate noble families sworn to the Benzzi banner."
Rose leaned forward.
"Right now, the old generals and subordinate knights of your father are still loyal to Karl. They see Karl as a fierce future commander. If Karl recovers from his 'trauma' and returns next month... Your father could easily return the heir position to him in the blink of an eye. And you, Kars..." Rose made a throat-slitting gesture with her finger. "...you will be thrown back into the horse stables. Or worse, eliminated to prevent succession conflicts."
Kars nodded in agreement. His face paled imagining that scenario. He knew full well how cruel his father was. If Karl returned to power, Kars would not survive this time. The vengeful Karl would ensure his younger brother suffered.
"I need an internal ally," said Kars, his voice urgent. "I need someone who can validate my position in the eyes of the Vassals. Someone whose support will leave Father with no choice but to acknowledge me as the Rightful Heir, regardless of how strong Karl is."
"Who?" I asked directly. "Who is this person? A general? A politician? Or a corrupt official we have to bribe?"
Kars shook his head. He took a deep breath, as if merely mentioning this name gave him a headache and a heartache simultaneously.
"No. She is a student here. Our classmate."
Kars looked at me, then turned to Elena. There was doubt in his eyes, but he had no other choice.
"Her name is Celia Alphine."
I frowned, trying to dig up the memory of that name among the hundreds of student names I had seen on the announcement board.
"Alphine..." I mumbled. "I saw her name on the first semester forest exam leaderboard. She was on the same team as you, right? Rank six?"
"Correct," answered Kars. "She is the only daughter of Count Alphine. The Alphine family controls the largest black iron mines and weapon forging factories in the Benzzi territory. They are the main logistical suppliers for our family's military forces."
Kars placed his hands on the table, clenching them tightly until his knuckles turned white.
"Without steel from Alphine, the Benzzi forces are merely people holding wooden sticks. My father highly respects Count Alphine. If Celia, the sole heir of the Alphine family, publicly declares her support for me, then the other Vassals will follow suit. Father would not dare cast me aside if it meant losing the weapon supply."
"Sounds simple," commented Erika while chewing another biscuit. "You guys were on the same team. You must be close, right? Just ask. Treat her to cake or buy her flowers?"
Kars laughed again. A dry and desperate laugh. He covered his face with one hand.
"Simple, you say? Erika, you do not know Celia. She is not a girl who can be bribed with cake."
Kars lowered his hand, staring at the library ceiling as if seeing ghosts from the past.
"That Celia Alphine, she is cold, pragmatic, ruthless, and absolutely loathes politics. Our relationship on the team was merely transactional. She helped me only because she needed the grades to maintain her family's rank, not because she cared about me."
"So she is neutral?" asked Elena.
"Worse. She is hostile to us," answered Kars bitterly. "The problem is, Karl once tried to propose to her."
"Propose?" Rose raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Karl? Proposing to someone? I thought he was only infatuated with Elena."
"You are not wrong, he is still chasing Elena. So the proposal to Celia was a forced political proposal," corrected Kars with a tone of disgust. "Karl wanted to secure the steel supply. He came to Celia with his typical arrogance. He said, 'Become my wife, and your only duty will be to birth a strong heir. Let the men handle the rest'."
"Bastard," hissed Rose and Elena simultaneously. Even Elena's expression looked distorted as if looking at disgusting trash.
"Exactly," continued Kars. "Celia was deeply offended. She rejected him outright in public. Ever since that moment, she hates anyone bearing the name Benzzi. She considers all of us arrogant and stupid patriarchal men. Myself included."
Kars looked at me with a pleading gaze.
"I need you guys to help me approach her. I need you to convince her that I am different from Karl. That allying with me will benefit the Alphine family."
Kars pointed at me.
"Especially you, Arin. You just destroyed Karl. In Celia's eyes, you are probably the only person in this school who catches her attention because you managed to hurt the person she hates most. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"
"Me?" I pointed at myself, confused. "I have never even spoken to her. What am I supposed to say? 'Hi, I am the guy who beat up Kars's older brother, would you please support the younger brother'?"
"More or less," said Kars seriously. "She respects strength and efficiency, Arin. She hates noble nonsense. You, a commoner who beat up a noble, are an anomaly she favors."
I fell silent for a moment, processing this information.
Instead of a grand war, the next mission was diplomacy. Conquering the heart of a noble girl holding the key to military logistics. Sounded easier than fighting a Silver Golem? Maybe. But seeing Kars's frustrated face, my gut feeling told me this girl named Celia might be harder than a dungeon wall.
However, there was something strange about the way Kars talked about her.
I observed Kars closely. Earlier, when he told the story about Karl proposing to Celia, there was a different tone of anger in his voice. Not political anger because Karl ruined diplomatic relations. It sounded very personal.
And now, as he asked for help, his hands were trembling not out of fear, but because of nervousness.
"Kars," I called softly, staring at him with a scrutinizing, narrowed gaze. "There is one thing you are hiding."
Kars jolted. "What? Nothing. I already told you everything about the logistics and..."
"Not about the logistics," I cut in. I leaned forward. "Why were you so angry when recounting Karl proposing to Celia? Why did you memorize the details of her rejection? And why did your face turn slightly red when you mentioned her name earlier?"
Rose and Elena turned simultaneously toward Kars. Erika stopped chewing her biscuit.
Kars's face, previously pale from exhaustion, now slowly changed color. A red flush crept from his neck up to his ears.
"Th-that is not important," evaded Kars, turning his face toward the bookshelf. "It is just a detail of the past."
"It is very important," pressed Rose, a mischievous smirk beginning to appear on her lips. "Could it be..."
Kars exhaled a long breath, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He knew he could not hide it from us, these conspirators.
"Alright!" exclaimed Kars surrendering, his voice rising slightly out of embarrassment. "I... I like her. Satisfied?!"
Silence struck the round table for three seconds.
"WHOAAA!" exclaimed Erika. "Workplace romance?!"
"Be quiet, Erika," grumbled Kars, covering his face with both hands.
His voice was muffled from behind his palms.
"Back then... during the first semester forest exam. We were on the same team. She... she was amazing," mumbled Kars, his voice softening. "Celia is not like other noble girls I have met. She is not spoiled. She lifts her own weapon. She scolded Karl when Karl was wrong. She is smart, sharp, and strong."
Kars opened his fingers slightly, peeking at us with sad eyes.
"When Karl proposed to her in that insulting way, I was there. I wanted to punch Karl right then and there. And tell him that Celia is worth more than just a baby factory. But I was a coward. I could only remain silent."
Kars clenched his hands on the table.
"That is why she hates me too. Not just because I am a Benzzi. But because she saw me stand silently when my brother insulted her. She considers me just as bad. Weak and submissive."
There was a different silence now. A silence of sympathy.
Kars Benzzi, the young man who had always lived under his brother's shadow, turned out to harbor feelings for the same girl his brother wanted to control. And he had failed to protect her.
"So this is not just about the throne and power," I concluded softly. "You want to prove yourself to her that you are not Karl."
Kars nodded weakly. "I want her to see me. Not as 'Karl's little brother'. Not as 'The Spare'. But as Kars. If I can get her support... maybe I can fix my past mistake."
Elena smiled thinly. She sipped her tea gracefully.
"An interesting motivation. Love and politics often go hand in hand in our world, Kars. And honestly, romantic motivation is usually stronger than monetary motivation."
Rose patted Kars's back so hard that the young man coughed.
"Ouch! That hurts, Rose!"
"Do not be a crybaby!" exclaimed Rose while laughing. "Alright! I like this! A Mission of Conquering Hearts and Thrones! This is far more exciting than mere business!"
Rose looked at me. "Arin, we have to help him. Not just for the sake of the alliance, but for the pride of this pathetic man."
I sighed, then smiled thinly.
The situation had become more complicated, but also more human. Kars was no longer just a cold political pawn. He was an ally with a heart, and that made him more trustworthy than a calculating machine like Vesper.
"Very well," I decided, leaning back in the chair. "We will help you get Celia Alphine. Both as a political ally, and as... well, your romantic target."
"Really?" Kars looked at me with eyes sparkling full of hope.
"But remember," I warned, raising one finger. "If she rejects you personally, I cannot force her. I can only open the door, you are the one who has to step inside."
"That is more than enough," said Kars in relief, as if a mountain's burden had just been lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you, Arin."
He reached into his bag, then took out a small blue leather-bound notebook. He handed it to me.
"This is data about Celia," said Kars. "I recorded it secretly during the forest exam. What she likes, what she hates, her schedule, her habits..."
I accepted the book, opening it briefly. Its contents were full of detailed notes in Kars's handwriting.
Page 1: Celia does not like sweet food. She likes bitter coffee. Page 2: She hates people who are late. She is obsessed with efficiency. Page 3: Her weapon is a halberd spear. She likes to maintain it herself every afternoon in the back garden.
"Wow," commented Erika, peeking from over my shoulder. "This is... a bit creepy, Kars. Are you a stalker?"
"Th-This is tactical observation!" argued Kars, his face turning beet red again.
I closed the book with an amused smile.
"This is useful. Very useful," I said. "With this, we can formulate an approach strategy."
I looked at my friends.
"Tomorrow, we begin Operation Key. Target: Celia Alphine. We will make her side with us, and ensure Kars becomes the next Duke Benzzi."
Kars gave a final warning, his face turning serious again.
"Be careful, Arin. Celia cannot be bribed with money or seduced by a handsome face. She is more like you than you suspect. She is obsessed with 'Quality' and 'Real Results'. If you come with small talk, she will cut you down with her halberd."
I smiled, feeling challenged. A pragmatic iron maiden? That was my type of conversation partner.
"Do not worry," I said while slipping the book into my pocket. "I have experience dealing with terrifying women."
I glanced at Elena and Rose. The two of them glared sharply at me.
"Do you mean us?" asked Rose while holding the hilt of her dagger.
"Of course not," I evaded quickly. "I meant... Monsters."