Chapter 112

The next morning, the day of the Academy Conference had dawned.

The Duke of Hesmann's mansion was bustling with activity. Sheria smiled faintly as she observed her father, the Duke of Babyloa, and Princess Mirissa Hesmann, who sat before her. They were the individuals she had successfully brainwashed.

"Father," Sheria began, her gaze shifting from Mirissa to the Duke of Babyloa, who remained silent. "I'm also considering participating in the conference."

She then turned her attention to Princess Mirissa. "Today, Princess, you have many tasks ahead of you. You must appear as weak and vulnerable as possible."

"Yes," Mirissa responded, her voice fragile. Sheria listened with satisfaction, then reached out her hand towards Mirissa, gently stroking her head as if comforting her.

"The Princess truly has a lot of work to do today."

Mirissa, a child who had been fed holy water by Abel, the kidnapper, and who would now never betray Sheria, simply nodded. Sheria blinked calmly, then the corners of her mouth lifted into a subtle smile. In that moment, her previously vacant eyes sparkled with a sudden liveliness. She recalled a recent conversation: His Holiness the Pope had spoken to her directly.

"Sheria Babyloa, you are worthy of being my successor."

"Your Majesty...!" Sheria had exclaimed, overwhelmed.

"I have high expectations for you," the Pope continued. "Bring as many nobles as you can to our side."

"Yes, I will," Sheria had promised, her voice thick with emotion. "My fiancé and I are also following Your Majesty's teachings."

Eventually, the Pope's deep voice resonated from the video call. "Sooner or later, I will send the most powerful potion to the new Priest. Spread it slowly. By the time people notice, it will already be too late."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sheria replied. "Oh, and it seems that we will soon be able to deal with Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa."

"I understand," the Pope affirmed. "I believe in you, Sheria."

How moved Sheria had been by the Pope's high regard. The end was not far off.

She crossed her arms, looking at the Duke of Babyloa and Princess Mirissa. Just then, the door opened, and a priest entered.

"What's going on?" Sheria asked, her voice deceptively kind.

The priest spoke cautiously. "I, Sheria, haven't seen Father Luftel for a few days."

"Really? Where could he be...?" Sheria's dreamy tone betrayed no tension or worry. All she could think about was the meticulously crafted plan she would execute perfectly today.

"Well... it seems that Father Luftel won't be coming to the new building. Oh, are all the nobles on our side participating in the conference?"

"Yes, everyone has replied. All the nobles who purchased the holy water will participate."

"That's perfect," Sheria declared. All of them were ready to be the audience for the stage where her sister would finally fall. "It's a pity that Priest Luftel won't be able to witness your sister's final journey."

Sheria smiled softly and stood up. "Then, shall we go?"

The conference hall was abuzz with a mix of anticipation and tension. Among them, I was the most nervous. I sat in the center of the stage and surveyed the room. The President of the Academy was seated beside me.

'Do you think I'm going to die from shaking?' I lowered my eyes, recalling the prototypes I had painstakingly created, one by one, with my own craftsmanship. 'No. I've worked so hard until now; I'll be fine.'

As soon as my heart calmed, the President was the first to speak. "I would like to extend my gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have gathered here today. Our academy seeks to usher in a new era, paving the way for a new leap forward."

The President of the Academy gave me a brief wink. I stood up and took a quiet breath.

"I am Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa. I have come to present new educational tools to the Academy."

I looked out at the audience and smiled. There were approximately two hundred people in the conference hall. In the front seats, a group of children reporters sat huddled together. To the left were the guest seats for academy professors and parents, and to the right, guest seats for foreign nobles, journalists, and foreign dignitaries. On the VIP side, Isaac was looking at me. Dominic was also stationed just outside the conference hall, keeping a vigilant eye for any unforeseen circumstances.

They had all come together for my dreams and for revenge.

'A new opportunity has arrived.'

As I made eye contact with the people, my trembling subsided. Opportunities are never grasped by shaking hands; one must seize them with a confident grip.

"The items I am about to present are new learning tools that will revolutionize the way the academy learns."

As soon as I finished speaking, the children in the audience began to tap their feet and whisper excitedly among themselves.

"I can't wait to see them." A little girl, perched on a large cushion with parchment paper clutched tightly in her hand, muttered curiously.

"What is it this time?" The children, who were the academy's representative reporters, looked at me with intelligent eyes. When I saw their expectant gazes, I felt an infinite sense of responsibility.

I smiled lightly and winked at Rasmus, who was holding a large sack to my left. He had been working diligently with Isaac and me at the stationery store these past few days.

"Why are you helping me so much?" I had asked him previously.

"There were times when I misunderstood... Anyway, I'm going to pay for my sins! You're not a thief!" he had replied.

I didn't know the exact reason, but regardless, I had gained a new assistant: the wizard Rasmus. Rasmus, who was determined to atone for a sin he had never truly committed, playfully dragged the sack forward and announced, "My name is Rasmus, Meldenik's assistant and wizard. I'll show you right away."

I smiled mischievously and first showcased a very successful skill embroidery set and a video clip demonstrating how to raise a pet.

"First of all, let me explain what has already been introduced: 'A Friend in the Palm of Your Hand.' All the paintings in this magical tool will be drawn by the art club children of Malton Academy."

Then, a red-haired, red-eyed man sitting in the guest seat suddenly clapped his hands, as if thoroughly satisfied.

'Who is that person?' I looked at the man, who was suddenly causing a stir, with a puzzled expression. However, there were still items to be announced, and I had no time to focus on him.

I raised my hand and held a quill in the air for everyone to see. "This is an anti-cheat quill that reduces tension when taking tests."

"How can it reduce tension? And how does it prevent cheating?" the President asked quickly.

No, you're only talking about one aspect! President, your acting is too obvious.

Unlike the President, I continued to speak as naturally as possible. "The feathers of this quill have a scent that relaxes the mind. We also designed the nib to be enchanted to prevent cheating."

"It's certainly a time when cheating is on the rise these days," the President concluded, ending the brief exchange. Still, this was a satisfying point to make.

I looked down at the audience. "Now, it's the children reporters' turn to ask questions."

As I had guessed, the children reporters had worked hard all night to prepare questionnaires. Among them, the child with the brightest eyes, a lovely girl wearing a Sufia Academy uniform, raised her hand.

"I have a question!" Haley, who was small and cheeky like a hamster, directly addressed me. "How will you verify the stability of the product? Do you have credibility?"

How does that kid even know the word 'credibility'?!

Her plump cheeks were so cute, as if she were biting into a sunflower seed, but I tried my best to suppress my amusement and answered seriously. "When making a product, we will seek advice from a nationally certified wizard from a magic tower, like Rasmus here."

The repercussions of my words were quite significant. Of course, it wasn't to the point where the entire conference hall was buzzing, but it seemed to be encouraging for some people. Especially when I saw the parents, I was even more surprised by their reactions.

"It's a magic tower..."

"Is it closely related to the Mage Tower?"

"Didn't you hear that they collaborated with the Mage Tower last time? I guess that was real."

"Could it be that Meldenik is acquainted with the archmages of the Mage Tower?"

I could hear parents and foreign nobles chattering amongst themselves. It was all precisely my intention.