Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!-Chapter 575 - 131-Connections

"Heh, Gayle, you really are the same as always—no mercy at all when disciplining your own students, huh?"

The old King Denken strolled casually into Sirius Academy, his posture relaxed as if he were simply out for a walk.

Seeing him arrive, Old Gayle immediately grabbed the swollen-faced, bruised Francis—who had just taken a solid beating—and tossed him aside like an empty sack.

"Hmph, only a strict teacher can raise outstanding students," he snorted. "If even the instructors are slack, how can the students be expected to turn out any good?"

It was a rather shameless statement, considering that before today's chaos erupted, Old Gayle had been treating most of the Sirius students with complete neglect. He spent his days lounging about, sipping his wine, and living a life of leisure.

Denken knew this perfectly well, though he didn't call it out directly. Instead, he offered a tactful nudge. "That's not quite true. I've noticed you weren't exactly attentive to Alan either, and yet look how that turned out—his strength shocked both of us, didn't it?"

Old Gayle rolled his eyes and replied with sarcasm, "And you, when have you ever shown up to uphold justice? What's gotten into you today that made you show up in person for once?"

Denken scratched his nose, chuckling awkwardly.

"Because I didn't have a choice."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Denken hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply and confessed, "To be frank, the Plantagenet Kingdom wouldn't be terribly affected if either one of your academies disappeared."

"In fact, I've been considering whether I should establish a royal academy to compete with you old fossils and poach some talent."

"I even tried a few times... but in the end, I gave up."

Gayle chuckled. "Too much trouble?"

"No," Denken said, his expression growing serious, "because it's not worth it."

"At present, having you and Sirius Academy act as a counterbalance to Lioncrest Academy is the ideal arrangement."

"If I were to create another faction now, it would disrupt the delicate balance we've achieved."

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"And if the day ever comes when you can no longer hold off Lioncrest's aggression, then even the mages in the capital won't be enough to resist them. That's why I chose to support you."

Old Gayle scoffed, "Still playing your little imperial balancing games, huh?"

Denken grinned. "Not entirely. To be honest, there's another reason I have to support Sirius."

"Oh?" Gayle raised a brow. "And what's that?"

He couldn't recall ever doing anything that would earn Denken's personal gratitude.

Denken glanced around, then set up a high-tier soundproofing barrier. Only once it was in place did he lower his voice and say, "You might not know this yet, but Alan's already been secretly conferred the title of Duke."

"Moreover, during his time in Ironblood City, he got along quite well with my third granddaughter. So, both sentimentally and politically, I have to back your side, don't I?"

Gayle was stunned silent for a moment.

Alan had brought him too many surprises lately.

Now it turned out the boy had not only been granted the title of Duke but had also built a connection with the kingdom's Third Princess?

And both of these happened to the same student?

If you'd told Gayle this a month ago, he'd have laughed in your face. It would've sounded more like a delusion than a possibility.

But now… he wasn't so sure.

Because he had a feeling—if it was Alan, maybe he really could pull it off.

Seeing that Gayle had fallen into stunned silence, Denken stepped forward and patted his shoulder with a smile.

"Don't be so on edge. I'm not trying to bring Sirius Academy under the kingdom's thumb. After all, when I first founded this country, my dream was that every citizen could live with freedom."

Gayle gave him a faint smile and said, "I believe that's your ideal. But ideals often run into obstacles in the real world."

"I just hope you remember what you've said here today. Don't become one of those obstacles for that child in the future."

Denken shook his head vigorously. "Of course not. On the contrary—I won't be an obstacle. I'll be one of his greatest allies."

"That child has a noble heart and has already given so much to the kingdom. Not to mention, he helped my granddaughter quite a lot back in Ironblood City."

"The royal family is grateful. We would never stand in his way."

Hearing such a firm promise from the king himself, Old Gayle gave a nod of satisfaction.

Without saying anything more, he pulled out a fresh flask of wine and walked off toward his personal quarters, drinking as he went.

Denken also prepared to leave. But just before stepping outside, he paused and looked back at the gates of Sirius Academy, letting out a wistful sigh.

"A magus… Hah. My Plantagenet Kingdom finally has a true magus."

Splash, splash…

In the washroom, a mana-powered faucet poured out a steady stream of clean water.

Isabella crouched underneath it, diligently washing the fresh vegetables she had just picked from the academy's garden.

From time to time, she'd lift her arm to wipe the sweat from her brow.

There was a plain but charming cuteness to her appearance—innocent and earnest.

But what Isabella didn't notice… was that under the sunlight, the shadow cast behind her on the wall began to twist in a strange, unnatural way.

"Isabella."

A soft voice called her name, almost like a whisper on the wind.

Startled, she turned her head—and saw a girl in a black dress standing quietly a short distance behind her, calmly waving.

The girl's aura was cold and detached.

Isabella looked at her, then down at the half-washed vegetables still in her hands. She hesitated for a moment and didn't stand up immediately.

But the black-dressed girl didn't wait for a response. She walked right up to her.

Without a word, she knocked the basket of vegetables out of Isabella's hands, sending them tumbling to the ground.

Isabella stood up, upset. "Hey! What are you doing!?"

The girl glanced at her and replied softly, "Are you angry?"

"Of course I am! You're bullying me—how could I not be angry?!"

Hands on her hips, Isabella's cheeks puffed up as she glared at the girl.

The black-dressed girl, however, just covered her mouth and giggled. "You're right. Anyone would be angry if they were bullied—your brother included."

"I can guarantee, he'll be bullied again someday. And most of the time, it'll be because of you."

Isabella froze, the anger draining from her face. She lowered her head, eyes dim.

She wanted to deny it. But the look in the girl's eyes, that judgmental gaze… it left her speechless.

Because she was right.

"Just admit it. From the moment you were born, you've been holding your brother back. Without you, he'd have had a freer, easier life."

"Stop it!"

Isabella clutched her ears and shook her head violently, crouching on the floor.

These were the thoughts she had tried so hard to avoid all these years—now cruelly spoken aloud.

"No, I'm not done."

The girl in the black dress crouched down too, lifting Isabella's face with both hands so that their eyes met.

"If you don't want to be a burden on your brother, there's only one solution—you need to become stronger."

"Otherwise, you'll become a real weight on his shoulders. Alan isn't a machine. If this keeps up, he'll eventually grow tired… and one day, because of an accident, he might leave you forever."