Chapter 715
Her Fake Identity Was My Doing
Paul and Dimit were seeing Professor Rasimi act with such deference and humility for the first time. Rasimi, as a professor at the Spirit Tower and a High-Tier Extraordinary of the Fourth Tier, held a status equal to that of an Archbishop or a Grand Alchemist. A supreme being of the Fifth Tier directly controlled the entire nation. And having smoothly reached a realm just one level below that while still in his prime, he was undoubtedly a genius and a significant figure.
Yet, this man, who appeared cold, arrogant, and distant to everyone, was now so submissive. He bowed respectfully, never daring to meet the young lady’s eyes, and even his habitually hoarse, drawn-out, and peculiar voice became clear, gentle, and clean. His politeness was such that one could not help but marvel, “So you can speak normally after all.”
Paul had no doubt that if Miss Alistair hadn’t refrained from extending her hand, Professor Rasimi would have unflinchingly knelt and kissed it.
Star Antimony had always considered itself the “legitimate successor to the Hrasal Empire,” and thus inherited the etiquette of the empress dowagers from the imperial era. A female noble of a lower rank could still extend her hand, demanding a kiss from a gentleman. As long as the lady offered her hand, male nobles of the same or lower rank had to kneel and perform the gesture. Only male nobles of a higher rank could bow and kiss her hand, while those of two or more ranks higher could refuse the gesture. In other words, Professor Rasimi implicitly acknowledged the other party’s rank was far superior to his own.
As he led the two away, Professor Rasimi bowed deeply to Alistair, his waist bending more than ninety degrees. As he retreated, he bowed twice more. Finally, after completely exiting the room, he respectfully said, “May the moonlight favor you.” This astonished Paul and Dimit.
They followed Professor Rasimi back to his room, remaining silent for the entire journey. Only as they neared their destination did Paul finally see Professor Rasimi’s face regain its stiff, death-like expression.
“What did she do to you?” Professor Rasimi suddenly asked in a chilling tone. The hoarse, low voice finally made Paul relax. Ah, it was the familiar Professor Rasimi after all.
“Perhaps she intended to, but didn’t have time…” Dimit blurted out.
“Hmph.” Professor Rasimi let out a sneer. “You’re quite imaginative for a good-for-nothing. Keep it up; perhaps this optimistic spirit will save you from the shame of a mediocre life when you’re seventy.”
“Uh…” Dimit was momentarily speechless, expertly repelled by the professor’s verbal weapon.
“That young lady,” Paul asked Professor Rasimi, “who exactly is she? To command such respect from you…”
“She is the daughter of Count Crowley, a top-secret agent of the Royal Family, a student of General Karl, a contractor of the Shadow Demon… and the sergeant major of the Army’s First Special Operations Unit.” Professor Rasimi fluently rattled off a string of exaggerated titles.
But Paul frowned slightly. “Is that all?” he countered. “At this level, I don’t believe it would warrant such caution from you.”
Professor Rasimi glanced at him but did not reply. At the door to his room, he patted Dimit’s shoulder, pushed him inside, and closed the door. Then, he silently led Paul to his own room and poured them both a cup of yellow, bitter medicinal tea. He sat down, took a sip of the tea, which made his brow furrow, and slowly exhaled.
“—Of course, it’s not just that, Paul,” he suddenly said. “Those titles are her fake identity.”
“…Fake identity?” Paul exclaimed. “Weren’t you saying… I mean, the identity of a royal agent and the ‘Secret Chamber’ can also be fake?”
“I happen to be closely involved with this matter, which is why I know some of the truth. Because I helped create her fake identity. Come to think of it… it was a mission your ‘mother’ assigned me back then.” Professor Rasimi glanced at Paul meaningfully. Here, “mother” did not refer to Paul’s biological mother, but his master, the royal agent known as “Blood Coral.”
“Her true identity is the last head of the Beyad Corporation. You must have heard of that name… as the biggest investor in Crescent Moon Manor. Perhaps your mother was one of her Blood Slaves back then.” Professor Rasimi said sarcastically. “Her real name is Viness Emil Zola Beyad. Although she’s using a false identity… the silver-inlaid black crystal cross necklace she wears is proof.
“The black cross is the symbol of the Hrasal Empire, and this pendant is called the ‘Light of Hrasal.’ One was issued annually for ten years before the Sundering Wars. It was given to ‘individuals who, despite not being nobles, made outstanding contributions to the Empire.’ Only one was issued each year, for a total of ten. The number 002 was awarded to Lady Beyad. ‘Lady’ here refers to a female baroness, which was not an official title and could not be inherited. These ten medals represented ten honorary titles… If your history studies are correct, you should know what this signifies.”
“…This is a harbinger of the Hrasal Empire’s collapse,” Paul blurted out. “In the late Hrasal Empire, the proportion of high-tier Extraordinary individuals from non-noble backgrounds continuously increased, leading to intense conflict with the existing noble class… The result was widespread dissatisfaction among both nobles and commoners. The last ‘Hracross’ chose to engage with the commoners… That monarch initiated the ‘Light of Hrasal’ plan, attempting to transform commoners into nobles through the yearly awarding of one non-hereditary honorary title…”
At this point, Paul fell silent. The subsequent content might be politically incorrect.
“—Continue,” Professor Rasimi said indifferently after taking a sip of tea. “Tell me your thoughts.”
“…The result was that the commoners were dissatisfied with only one honorary title per year, and one that was non-hereditary. The nobles, in turn, were disappointed by the royal family’s concessions. At this time… the corruption of the Children of the Moon intensified these internal conflicts, ultimately leading the nobles to rebel against the royal family… The commoners then rose up to attack those nobles, and among them, Alfonso Valentin, an Alchemist from a commoner background, became the founding monarch of the later Star Antimony Kingdom.” Paul said hesitantly.
“Heh,” Professor Rasimi sneered. “What do you think? This version of Imperial history from the perspective of Star Antimony.”
“…I think it’s definitely not that simple. The process of the nobles’ rebellion is written too simplistically. But at least Valentin I should indeed be of commoner origin…”
“Ha, ha, ha.” Professor Rasimi chuckled dryly, muttering, “Even you can see something is wrong, but they can’t… Heh. Or rather, they see something is wrong but are still unwilling to give up…”
“…Professor?” Paul asked, somewhat confused. His voice reminded Professor Rasimi. The professor, withered like a corpse, suddenly fell silent. He took several deep breaths and abruptly ended the topic:
“In conclusion, Paul. Be careful of that woman, and it’s best to stay away from her. If the title ‘Old Woman from the Imperial Era’ doesn’t deter you, then she has another identity… She is the paramour of His Majesty the Pope. She’s a fierce character who can fight for a man with the Iron-Blooded Queen of Avalon. You’d best not underestimate her.”
“…I understand,” Paul said, his expression immediately becoming solemn. Now he knew what level of formidable character she was.
(End of this chapter)
