I'll Smash Everything with Passive Skills-Chapter 63: 0. Midterm Evaluation (5)

Some people tend to look down on etiquette, considering it a foolish formality. However, as I sit here in the living room, watching the silver-haired woman savoring her warm tea, such thoughts are quickly pushed aside.

"This tea is delicious."

The first words spoken by the woman, who had finally entered the mansion and was being served tea, were just that. Naturally, Veris couldn't help but find her peculiar.

"I should reintroduce myself to you. I am the Grand Duchess of Wallenstein, Evangeline de Wallenstein. I am also the one referred to as the Grand Duchess of Gallia."

Her tone was stiff. Yet, the soft timbre hidden within it had a way of making the listener feel inexplicably tense.

"What do you want?"

"Hoho, you are quite the man of few words."

The woman... no, the Grand Duchess smiled leisurely. After placing her teacup down with a clatter, she gazed intently at Veris and spoke. "Do you know that I am targeting you?"

"You're targeting me? So you really are a stalker."

"Pfft! Misunderstandings are free. But the reason I am truly targeting you is due to another cause."

With that, Grand Duchess Evangeline waved her hand in the air.

And a wave of mana unfolded. Knowing that the purpose of this mana was not to kill but to block sound, Veris watched her with an expressionless gaze.

"The children will be startled."

The sound was blocked by a wall of mana. The children who had jumped up from their seats were seen muttering something, which didn't sit well with Veris.

However, the Grand Duchess's next words were undoubtedly an interesting story for Veris as well.

"Do you know about the Demon Cult?"

"Of course."

Is she suddenly bringing up the topic of the Demon Cult?

"I have leaked information since coming here. It was a very intentional and secretive operation."

"...."

"Hoho, do you really believe that the Grand Duchess of Gallia innocently came to the Empire's academy to find a groom? There was a different purpose."

At the Grand Duchess's subtle question, Veris frowned.

What a joke; in fact, he had no interest in the world around him and didn't even know that the Grand Duchess had come to the academy.

"I obtained interesting information in my territory. It's the kind of information that says a summons has been issued for the leaders of the Demon Cult to gather at this academy."

Hearing her words, Veris recalled the two middle-aged men he had encountered in the Vitelbach territory.

They were the ones who had helped him acquire the passive skill called [Heavenly Sword Style]. They were also said to be members of the Demon Cult, the Twelve Black Seats.

And that meant... there was a good chance the Grand Duchess had quite reliable information.

"I am convinced that they are plotting something."

Veris agreed with that. They had indeed said they were moving for a meeting. It was likely that running into Veris was an unfortunate coincidence.

"So what's your purpose?"

"Purpose?"

"What is the purpose of you, the highly esteemed Grand Duchess of Gallia, sneaking into this academy while hiding the truth? Is it simply because you suspect the Demon Cult?"

In response to Veris's straightforward question, the Grand Duchess sank deeper into the sofa.

Crossing her legs, she placed her clasped hands on her knees and said,

"I plan to kill them all."

"The Demon Cult?"

"Yes."

At the Grand Duchess's low, fierce opinion, Veris fell silent.

There was something about her expression that suggested she had a story worth telling, without needing to pry further.

"So you want help? That's a weak basis for it."

"Do you think my basis for choosing you is weak?"

"Yes. I know you were watching the sparring matches. But you wouldn't think someone is worth anything based on just a few sparring sessions, would you?"

"Hoho."

The Grand Duchess let out a wicked laugh. Although Veris's question hit the mark, she maintained her composure in her response.

"A hero knows a hero."

"What?"

"It's a feeling. It's like a familiar spirit that accompanies me throughout my life."

"You want to fight the Demon Cult with me just because of a feeling?"

Her vague answer naturally raised questions, and the Grand Duchess, anticipating this, quickly added more.

"You don't know how I became a Grand Duchess."

"...."

How would I know? Veris thought, but he didn't voice it. The Grand Duchess had suddenly shifted to a serious tone, which made him hold his tongue.

"Since I want to cooperate with you, I should share this much."

With that, the Grand Duchess began to tell a brief story about herself.

"I was the only daughter of the Grand Duchess of Wallenstein in eastern Gallia. But my father fell victim to the filthy schemes of the Demon Cult. I killed my father, who had lost his mind and blindly followed the Demon Cult. Only after killing him did I become the Grand Duchess. I was eighteen at the time, about the same age as you."

As she spoke, the Grand Duchess wore a bittersweet smile for the first time.

"Then how did I come to know that my father was being controlled by demons?"

The young Grand Duchess's blue eyes stared at Veris. If he were someone with weak resolve, he might have been intimidated by her intensity, but unfortunately, the person in question was Veris himself.

"How?"

"I knew it thanks to my innate intuition. I am aware that my basis is weak. But my intuition has never been wrong. So my desire for you is surely 'correct'."

The Grand Duchess had regained her usual composure. Just moments ago, she had been sharing a gloomy story, yet now she spoke in a perfectly normal tone.

"And I am very strong. Stronger than you can imagine. The so-called genius swordsman of the Empire, Gunther, is like a firefly in front of the sun when he stands before me."

"Strong, you say?"

Veris, who had been feeling bored throughout the conversation with the Grand Duchess, suddenly had a spark /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ of interest in his eyes.

He had seen many who claimed to be strong. However, the Grand Duchess felt different from those he had encountered before.

How should he put it... it felt as if her claim of strength suited her like a well-fitted garment.

'Enough.'

Veris had intended to open his status window to check his stats, but he soon abandoned the thought.

It wasn't an action that had any particular cost. But for some reason, he felt a desire to bring the Grand Duchess, who was enjoying her composure, to her knees.

"At that time, my father was the Grand Duke of Gallia and was known as the Kingdom's Greatest Sword. How could I have killed such a person?"

"With a sword, I suppose."

Veris glanced at the sword resting beside her. Just looking at the scabbard, it seemed to possess an incredible value.

"Hoho, you are indeed a straightforward man. Yes, it was with a sword. Beneath that was my strength."

The Grand Duchess said this and then rose from the sofa.

It seemed she hadn't expected to get answers from him right here, as she began to walk away while speaking to Veris.

"Think it over. And... it's better if you speak to me with respect."

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"Why should I?"

"I found out you are younger than me. You are twenty-two. It is only proper to respect your elders."

Swish!

The younger Veris had maintained a casual tone throughout, which seemed to bother the Grand Duchess, who then left the mansion.

As for respecting elders, that was a laughable notion. The age difference wasn't even that significant.

Sitting on the sofa with a blank expression, Veris couldn't help but think differently.

'She's only twenty-two, yet she seemed so much older.'

It was truly a sad realization.

*

The Grand Duchess, who had made the sweet proposal to eradicate the Demon Cult, was indeed a Grand Duchess, but for now, Veris needed to focus on the task at hand.

The mid-term evaluation, that is, winning the tournament sparring. And acquiring a useful sword without spending any money.

And that task was still progressing steadily. Looking at the boy with a tense face in the sparring arena, it seemed another easy victory was expected.

"I won't fall! I have many friends cheering for me!"

"...."

What a bold declaration for a boy who sounded like a protagonist from a shonen manga; it was truly a sight to behold.

"I will rise to greater heights from here. My dream is... to become a Tamer King!"

"A Tamer King?"

It was a self-introduction that made one wonder, "So what?" And it was quite amusing to see him cast a strangely hostile gaze at Veris.

"Come forth! My friend!"

─Kuooh!

As the boy began the summoning ritual, infusing it with a large amount of mana, a massive burst of light began to form above the sparring arena shortly after.

And then came a ferocious roar. It was the roar of a wyvern, a relative of dragons.

"Wyvern! Indeed, the A-Class is on a different level!"

"A wyvern refers to all reptilian monsters that live in the White Canyon. So the exact scientific name is entirely different..."

"Shut up! I'm betting on that boy this time!"

"But think about the credentials of Veris, the student who has shown us so far. He took down an A-Class Tamer in one blow."

"Still, a wyvern is a different story!"

The audience began to scream in shock, which was another matter altogether.

Even across the entire continent, Tamers were as rare as Elementalists. The boy facing Veris seemed to be quite a capable Tamer, as he summoned a wyvern in an instant.

Taming a monster as powerful as a wyvern was undoubtedly impressive. Thus, many spectators were seen placing bets on the unknown boy through gamblers, which caught Veris's attention.

'I can't stand this.'

To be honest, Veris knew that gambling was bad. That's why he had a personality that kept him away from it. But... it was hard to resist the odds, wasn't it?