Chapter 180

Chapter 180

“Ro-Rosen, I—”

“Shh. Keep your mouth shut, senior, unless you want another hour added.”

“Ugh.”

Lucas stood with both arms raised in a punishment pose, while Arian glared daggers at him with a fierce look.

“Do you even think at all, senior?!”

“I was just—”

“Shut it! Seriously, just keep that mouth closed!”

Arian Marquis unleashed her fury, and the atmosphere around us grew colder.

It felt like walking on thin ice. In this tense air, Elliot, Lois, Bren, and Sol all remained dead silent, nervously watching each other.

Fortunately, Lady Cecilia had been forced to stay behind in the office with her father, Duke Romanoff, leaving the rest of us gathered in Rosen’s room.

“Ugh, damn it. This is bullshit!”

Arian cursed repeatedly, her frustration palpable. Though she was supposed to be the top student of the second year, she felt less like an elite and more like a local thug.

‘She’s nothing like the top student I know.’

Beside me, Chelsea Artin, the top first-year student, was completely indifferent, as if she existed in another world, paying no attention to the situation.

Unlike Lucas, the careless third-year, or Arian, who acted more like a gangster, Chelsea truly embodied the image of an elite.

At that moment, Rosen Ravenia spoke up again.

“That’s enough, Arian.”

“Rosen, would you be able to stop if you were in my shoes? Did you hear what Duke Romanoff said earlier? It’s over! It’s completely over!”

Arian screamed in despair, but Rosen shook her head.

“Nothing is certain yet. We can still watch how things play out and look for a solution. And Cecilia promised to help you, didn’t she? Just trust her and wait.”

“But…”

“You saw it yourself—Duke Romanoff dotes on Cecilia. So, it’s not like you’re without any chance.”

Rosen’s attempt to comfort her, pointing out the positive side, made Arian sigh deeply.

“I don’t know. We’re up against the Fren Merchant Guild. And Diana… She’s the last person I ever wanted as an enemy.”

Arian confessed her honest feelings, acknowledging Diana as a formidable opponent.

Lucas, still in his punishment position, tried to chime in.

“You don’t have to be so negative—”

“Shut up!”

“Keep quiet, seriously!”

Both Arian and Rosen snapped at him, forcing Lucas to close his mouth once more.

Watching all of this unfold, I decided to speak up.

“Lucas has a point, doesn’t he?”

“What?”

“You don’t need to think so negatively.”

“Ah, Kamon, you’re reading my mind again!” Lucas exclaimed with a beaming smile, clearly pleased with my support.

But I ignored him and continued speaking to Rosen and Arian.

“Arian, you seem defeated because the business deal slipped through your fingers, but there’s no need to feel that way.”

“What are you talking about?” Arian responded, her tone tinged with irritation.

From her reaction alone, I could’ve easily lost the desire to help.

‘But then again, she’s the kind of person who apologized by handing me a pouch of money. She’s reasonable.’

With that thought, I smiled faintly and continued.

“Diana isn’t the only one representing the Fren Merchant Guild.”

“…?!”

As soon as I finished speaking, everyone’s gaze shifted, not toward me, but in another direction.

“Huh? Wh-What? Why is everyone looking at me?”

One other person shared the Fren Merchant Guild’s heir title alongside Diana. And that person was currently part of the student council, led by Cecilia.

“Elliot?”

“W-Wait a minute. I haven’t gotten permission from my father…”

Elliot was flustered, waving his hands frantically in denial. But I merely smiled at him and nodded.

“This time, let’s seize the opportunity and take down the Fren Merchant Guild.”

“…What?”

The next morning came quickly.

“Did everyone sleep well?”

With a bright smile, President Cecilia led the group toward the Romanoff Ducal Estate’s sacred hot springs—*Vishran*.

And soon, we arrived at the breathtaking sight that we’d only heard about in stories.

“Whoa, amazing.”

“This… is this even real?”

“…No wonder they designated this as a sacred site. But can we really visit a place like this?”

The Vishran Hot Springs were located in a small basin, and the view could be described like this:

Boiling streams of water shot up from the outer edges of the basin, cascading downward.

The water formed a circular waterfall that crashed into the ground below, breaking into fine mist and releasing white steam into the air.

It was like something straight out of a volcanic crater, and the sunlight reflected off the mist to create a dazzling rainbow that arched across the entire basin.

It was a breathtaking display of natural beauty, and everyone stood there, mesmerized.

Moreover—

“Look over there! The stairs are moving by themselves.”

Scattered throughout the basin were devices that, in the 21st century, would be known as escalators.

These moving stairs transported visitors smoothly from the entrance to the heart of the hot springs.

‘Wow, this is really convenient.’

[Hmph. Why not just walk? Humans are lazy, through and through.]

Airsya’s grumbling sounded like an old man’s complaint, and I chuckled as I nodded in agreement.

‘Humans strive to live as lazily as possible. That’s how we develop and advance.’

[What nonsense are you spouting? Striving to be lazy? That’s absurd.]

Though I understood why my words might sound contradictory, it was the truth.

Humans worked tirelessly to create a more comfortable and convenient life.

That’s why, in the 21st century, technology—not magic—had developed to automate everything.

“Wow, this is amazing! We should request the Academy install something like this.”

“But wouldn’t those magitech machines be super expensive…?”

As Bren and Lois talked, Arian chimed in.

“That’s called a *moving walkway*. It’s a recent invention, and the price is astronomical.”

“Wow, installing something that expensive on such a large scale… As expected of the Romanoff family.”

Elliot was in awe, while Arian wore a bitter expression.

“What’s that?”

As Lois spoke again, everyone’s gaze turned toward the spot he was pointing at. Tiny droplets of mist were endlessly scattering atop the stairs.

“Ah, it’s cold! This is cold water?”

“Oh, really? Perfect timing. I was starting to get a little warm, and it’s placed in just the right spot,” Bren remarked.

Rosen Ravenia, who had been quietly observing, nodded as she began analyzing the mechanisms installed in the area.

“They must be using cold water to counterbalance the heat. That’s why the mist forms so densely.”

“Oh, so that’s how this whole mysterious and impressive view is created?” Lucas murmured in fascination.

At that moment, Lady Cecilia’s cheerful voice cut through the conversation.

“I’m glad you all like it. But this is just the entrance. Wait until you see the inside—it’s even more amazing!”

“Huh? This isn’t the main part?”

“Just the entrance?”

Several of the group tilted their heads in confusion, prompting Cecilia to nod with a smile.

“Yes, this is just the entrance to the hot springs.”

And, as if on cue, the true nature of the *Vishran* Hot Springs was about to reveal itself.

Earlier, I had described the place as a small basin, but I needed to correct that.

It wasn’t just a basin—it was merely the entrance that looked like one.

The actual hot springs were located deep underground.

To be more specific, it seemed as if the land had been excavated from the center of the basin, reaching deep into the earth.

Whiiirrrr.

As we rode the endlessly moving walkway down toward the bottom, an even more magnificent and breathtaking scene unfolded before us.

“Whoa…”

“This… This is like an ancient temple.”

“Did they build all of this? Just how much money does this place have?”

“Well, the Romanoff family is one of the Empire’s five Electors. If this is their sacred site, it makes sense that it would be this grand,” Bren, Lois, and Elliot excitedly chattered as they marveled at the sight before them.

Among them was a new addition to the conversation.

“Let’s not forget, everyone, that the one overseeing all of this is our student council president.”

It was Sol Crensh, who had recently expressed a desire to join the student council.

“That’s right! All hail President Cecilia!”

“Hail!”

The group was quickly swept up in the mood, laughing and cheering.

And—

“Well then, I shall also… hail!”

Lucas, glancing around to gauge Rosen and Arian’s reactions, cautiously joined in on the cheer.

“Come on, everyone, stop. This place isn’t mine; it belongs to my family,” Cecilia chuckled, shaking her head.

“But isn’t that pretty much the same thing?” Sol Crensh added, rubbing his hands together in a sycophantic manner, his eyes gleaming in a way that even Airsya found odd.

[That guy… is he a sycophant now?]

‘Yeah, he didn’t used to act like this. What’s with the sudden change?’

Cecilia giggled, shaking her head again.

“It’s flattering, but really, it’s not like that.”

“Oh, it’s all the same to us, isn’t it, senior?” Sol continued, turning to Lucas with a grin.

“Indeed, I agree,” Lucas chimed in.

“Me too, me too!” Elliot and Lois quickly joined the chorus, forming a small group of sycophants praising Cecilia.

And then—

“Of course! How could I not support our incredible President?” Lucas added, this time completely disregarding any sense of subtlety.

I turned away from the spectacle.

[Those guys… they seem a bit lacking in common sense.]

‘Same here.’

Even without considering anything else, just looking at Rosen’s displeased expression was enough to realize how clueless they were acting.

‘They should’ve just stayed quiet.’

Arian, who had already been in a bad mood since the day before, was now glaring at them with sharp eyes as well.

But—

“Hehe.”

“Yes, our dear President!”

“A hot spring trip to a place like this—how exciting!”

In their excitement, they were completely oblivious to the figurative knives lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

And finally—

“Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun. But did we come here to play?”

Rosen Ravenia’s cold, low voice shattered the cheerful atmosphere like glass.

‘Ah, I knew this would happen.’

I sighed inwardly as I watched the group freeze under Rosen’s stern gaze.

[Hey, Kamon.]

Suddenly, Airsya appeared in front of me, spinning in mid-air with a mischievous smile. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

‘What is it?’

[Look over there.]

Following her direction, I turned my head, but…

“…?”

All I saw was the continuous cascade of hot water falling from the waterfall.

‘What am I supposed to be seeing?’

[Tsk, look closer. Can’t you see something between the water streams? Focus!]

Encouraged by Airsya, I leaned in, focusing more intently on the waterfall.

Then—

Sparkle!

‘Huh? What is that?’

Hidden among the rocks, slightly protruding between the streams of water, was a small gap. And from that gap, a faint light was shining through.

[You finally see it? I noticed it a while ago.]

Airsya smirked, her posture smug as she shrugged. I shook my head, deep in thought.

‘Could it be a hidden passage?’

The gap was cleverly concealed, nearly impossible to spot unless you were paying close attention.

Without Airsya’s help, I wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

‘I wonder if there are any remnants of the ancient Red Legacy there…’

It was too early to say for sure, but considering we were in the *Vishran* Hot Springs, a sacred site of the Romanoff family, there was a chance the hidden area might hold something significant.

Just as I was mulling over this—

Thump!

“Kamon, what are you thinking about?”

Chelsea, who had been walking behind me, lightly tapped my arm as she asked.

I shook my head quickly, replying,

“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”

Then, I glanced at the glimmering gap in the waterfall and called out to Airsya.

‘Hey, Airsya.’

[What is it?]

‘It looks like you’ve got a job to do.’

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