Chapter 66: The Price of a Scholarship

‘Unbelievable!’

“That’s ridiculous!”

Though only Ethan’s voice actually escaped, both Dongja and Ethan shouted the words in unison. Maxon, wearing a bored expression, piled ancient, dust-covered books into Ethan’s arms.

“What’s so ridiculous?” Maxon scoffed, “It’s just an unusual case of someone being an Esper from birth, with the added trait of a naturally vast energy capacity. And even if this is an unpopular old book library, shouting like that is simply rude.”

Maxon, a third-year student who occasionally shared classes with Ethan, spoke without reservation. They were currently in the archives, a library dedicated to ancient paper books, searching for materials for their reports and supplementary lessons.

Professor Vince was one of the Empire’s most celebrated historians, yet his curriculum was notoriously brutal. While his lectures provided the backbone of established imperial history, students were then tasked with compiling extensive self-directed reports.

These required immense research, fleshing out the core history with countless examples and data. Once a report was painstakingly completed, it would be mercilessly dissected by his grading.

This was followed by a series of debates, where a select few “acceptable” reports were discussed. This grueling cycle continued throughout the semester.

By its end, more than half the students would drop out, often using excuses like changing their academic advisor or their major. Though the numbers dwindled with each passing term, those who persevered often went on to secure positions as high-ranking officials or prominent researchers.

Consequently, with the start of every new semester, a fresh wave of aspiring students, like moths to a flame, would eagerly flock to Professor Vince, hoping he would become their advisor.

Ethan, too, might soon be among those who dropped out. He let out a deep sigh, lamenting his current predicament: all for a meager scholarship, he had to take on the role of a notoriously “parachute” Guide, tutoring the even more renowned Esper, Colonel Bliss Moore, at his private residence.

“So, you’re saying a Guide isn’t needed for them?!” Ethan exclaimed.

“It’s not so much that they’re not needed,” Maxon clarified, “but rather that they don’t experience the pain.”

Unlike other Espers, golden-eyed Ancasters, born as Espers, didn’t suffer when they went without guiding. The intense pain and heightened sensitivity, akin to being assaulted by every sensation and environmental stimuli, were directly linked to an Esper’s innate urge to release their energy.

This was precisely why, when guiding was withheld past a certain threshold, they would often suffer a seizure, releasing their power and finding temporary relief.

“Therefore, having been born with an enormous, empty vessel, and with only B-grade energy currently filling me, I don’t suffer in the same way other Espers do,” Maxon continued. “However.”

“It’s said that if a golden-eyed Ancaster meets a Multi-Guide and receives their guiding, their abilities become greatly amplified. This knowledge is now only held by the direct descendants of the Ancaster family. But you, I momentarily…”

“…!!”

He hesitated briefly, then offered a polite apology.

“I’m sorry. Our family has been cast out of politics, so it’s difficult for us to even approach His Highness Devon Green. However, the combination of a Multi-Guide and a golden-eyed Ancaster is truly rare. Since you’re the subject of rumors about potentially being a Multi-Guide, and I’m assigned to tutor you, I couldn’t help but want to confirm.”

Maxon offered a bitter smile. He had indeed confirmed his suspicions, but it had amounted to nothing.

‘Of course,’ he thought, ‘there couldn’t possibly be two Multi-Guides.’ He was merely a golden-eyed Ancaster, destined to live as an interference-type Esper, perhaps a little better than average. Such immense luck would never fall upon him.

When no response came, Maxon, who had been idly scanning a list that was barely visible, looked up and met Ethan’s gaze.

“…Was one of Princess Anna Green’s matched Espers, the one who was a Multi-Guide, a golden-eyed Ancaster?”

Maxon’s eyes, which had widened slightly, now settled into a calm expression.

“…Yes. He was Princess Anna Green’s first Esper.”

Ethan, his feelings a tangled mess, wildly shook his head.

“Hey, what’s suddenly gotten into you?!” Maxon asked, startled.

“No, it’s just… I keep having these ridiculous thoughts. Ugh… it’s truly absurd.” Ethan even started messing up his hair.

Maxon gave up trying to stop him, simply watching Ethan blankly. Dongja clicked their tongue.

‘If you’re going to lose your mind, at least do it gracefully, Ethan.’

****

“You’ve been remarkably punctual with your departure times lately, haven’t you?”

Dale greeted Bliss and Philip, who had just returned from work, with a satisfied smile. He couldn’t help but feel that Ethan Prescott choosing to enroll in Ramiel Royal Academy instead of joining the military had been an exceptionally good decision.

Previously, Bliss had been excessively immersed in his work, returning home fewer days in a month than he stayed away. That, however, was no longer the case.

“Don’t even mention it,” Philip sighed, a hint of resentment in his voice. “He even took the wheel himself, just to make it back in time for dinner. I nearly threw up.”

Lately, it seemed Bliss had resolved to trust his subordinates more and work them harder, all in an effort to minimize his time away from Ethan. Philip, being one of those unfortunate targets, was facing another night of writing reports until dawn.

“Oh dear, you’ve had a difficult time, Mr. Philip.”

Dale’s sympathetic words spurred Philip to seize the moment, pressing Bliss with renewed persistence.

“Don’t you think about hiring another executive assistant?”

“Hmm, not particularly. I already have quite a few secretaries, and the unit adjutants are quite competent.”

Bliss’s receptive reply emboldened Philip, making him even more audacious.

“No, I mean a personal attendant,” Philip clarified. “Someone who serves directly by Lord Bliss’s side, ready to adapt to situations as they arise…”

“…Is your salary not enough?” Bliss interjected.

“Salary isn’t the issue!” Philip retorted, exasperated. “Honestly, sending Liam to the south? Now with Doctor Sera gone and Liam absent, I’m practically breaking my back trying to handle all the tasks they used to divide between them!”

“Doctor Sera is scheduled to return by the end of the week,” Bliss stated calmly. “As for Liam, he was simply the most suitable person for this particular assignment, being both skilled in administrative tasks and an excellent guard. Considering the ebb and flow of personnel, I don’t foresee any significant problems.”

Philip offered a ‘rotten’ smile. In essence, Bliss simply found the entire process of scouting and maneuvering a new close aide too bothersome.

How many tasks could Doctor Sera possibly share with him, anyway? In that regard, Liam was far more efficient. Philip found his superior utterly detestable, feigning a brain filled with nothing but muscle whenever it suited him, despite clearly understanding Philip’s intentions. Yet, he couldn’t afford to give up.

“I want to go on dates too, you know?” Philip pressed. “Lord Bliss might be in the flush of romance right now, unable to see a mere executive assistant, but I got dumped because I was stuck to Lord Bliss all week!”

Dale, who had been walking alongside them, let out a hearty laugh and interjected.

“Mr. Philip, wasn’t Miss Austin, the one you were recently seeing, someone who seemed to prefer your credit card? Didn’t she break up with you the moment you reduced its limit? Such a relationship isn’t a proper romance.”

“No, Dale! How did you…!” Philip spluttered.

“It seems you don’t recall holding onto an old man like me for two hours, lamenting your woes after you’d had a drink or two.”

“……”

“…Where is Ethan?”

Despite the rather amusing conversation, Bliss didn’t bat an eye. His long strides carried him forward as he inquired about his Guide.

“I heard from Kyle that after his academy classes with Mr. Maxon, they had dinner together, visited the library, and then he returned home. It seems he’s been working on his report in the study since then. It’s almost dinner time, so I’ll ask both of them to come down to the dining room.”

As Dale recited his usual report, Bliss’s brow inexplicably furrowed more and more. And why was he heading directly to the study instead of his office?

Philip subtly glanced at his superior, but apart from the narrowed brow, there was no other discernible change. However, when the study door swung open, revealing the scene within, Philip let out a tiny hiccup.

“…Did you say there are no lectures tomorrow?”

Bliss’s voice was chilling as he gazed down at Ethan and Maxon, who were fast asleep, their heads affectionately leaned together over the table. Dale hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“That’s what I was told. They planned to work on their reports late tonight and conduct their supplementary lessons tomorrow…”

At the sound of their voices, Maxon, who had been asleep, stirred and slowly pushed himself up.

“Ah… when did I fall asleep? Ethan, wake up.”

The way he shooed away the lingering sleepiness and gently shook Ethan’s still-prone back suggested that the two had already grown quite close.

Bliss’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

“Maxon Ancaster.”

“…Huh! Yes!”

Maxon, who had been groggily trying to rouse Ethan, finally registered that their rude awakening was due to the unexpected presence of others. He shot up, answering with a near-shout.

The sudden commotion left Ethan, who had just started to stir, looking utterly bewildered.

Bliss suppressed the powerful urge to immediately swat Maxon’s hand from Ethan’s back. Instead, he feigned the utmost politeness as he addressed him.

“Would you be interested in a high-paying part-time job?”

Maxon replied, his face still a picture of confusion.

“But my classes…”

“You can do it on days when you don’t have classes,” Bliss stated simply.

‘An excellent scholarship student from Ramiel!’ Philip instantly recognized this as his opportunity and eagerly interjected.

“You could easily make more than your scholarship with this!”

Maxon’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“What kind of work is it?”

“Oh, nothing major. Just helping me out a bit, as Lord Bliss’s executive assistant.”

“Can I really assist with such important duties?” Maxon asked, surprised.

“Hahahaha, Mr. Maxon, you’re practically family now, aren’t you!” Philip chuckled. “I can control the sensitivity of the information you’ll handle. You can think of it as an intern position.”

“I don’t have any experience with that,” Maxon admitted.

“You’d simply handle trivial tasks,” Philip explained. “Right now, we don’t even have time for filing or organizing. Sometimes you’d run errands, things like that.”

Philip laid out a tempting, almost fraudulent, trap, making it sound like easy work for high pay.

“Ah… if it’s just that…”

Maxon was almost convinced.

“Then starting tomorrow…”

“Me too!”

Bliss was about to declare Maxon’s immediate employment when a confident voice abruptly cut him off.

“If it’s such a high-paying part-time job, please let me do it too! Maxon and I have similar free days from class!”

It was Ethan, the one everyone seemed to have forgotten, the one who dearly loved money.

Philip welcomed him with open arms.

“If it’s Lord Ethan, you’re always welcome!”

“……”

Dale, who had been checking a message on his tablet, suddenly felt he understood why Philip struggled with relationships. His eyes widened slightly.

“Lord Enoch has just contacted us to ask if Mr. Scott Kenton can visit tomorrow.”

It was a clever maneuver by Enoch; he knew asking Bliss directly would result in an immediate refusal, so he’d shrewdly inquired about Ethan’s wishes through Dale.

Ethan, delighted to hear his friend’s name after so long, shot up to check the message on Dale’s tablet.

“Of course! Besides supplementary lessons, I have nothing else planned for tomorrow! Oh, I mean, I do have some materials I want to look up, but if Scott is coming, then naturally… Ugh!”

Ethan, who had been utterly thrilled at the prospect of seeing Scott, let out a strange sound. Bliss had snatched his wrist.

“L-Lord Bliss!”

Dale, Maxon, and Philip cried out in alarm, but Bliss gripped Ethan’s wrist firmly, abandoning all pretense of gentleness, consideration, or compromise.

“Right now, I need guiding.”

Feigning a seizure-like state was not difficult for him. It was something he experienced often, but at this moment, his mood was genuinely boiling over, akin to a seizure.

“…!!”

Thus, it was an unspoken command for everyone to clear out of the study.

Bliss pulled Ethan close, embracing his waist, and whispered, “Don’t drop your shield. I’m going to kiss you.”

Ethan’s face flushed, feeling as though it might explode. Dale, flustered, herded a stunned Philip and Maxon out the door. Before it could even fully close, Bliss lunged for Ethan’s lips.

Hmph—!

The sound of Ethan’s choked gasp was swallowed as the study door clicked shut.

“…Ahem, even if Lord Ethan isn’t doing it, Mr. Maxon, you are, correct? Shall we draw up the contract now?”

Witnessing Bliss’s earlier actions and Philip’s insistence on securing his part-time job despite the inappropriate situation, Maxon was certain.

‘If I do this, I’ll die.’

“I apologize. It seems our professor assigns such difficult tasks throughout the semester that I simply wouldn’t have the time.”

“…!!”

“Perhaps it would be best if you took a break from casual dating for a while, Mr. Philip?” Dale suggested, a hint of amusement in his voice, as he consoled the shocked Philip.