OHNIR – Chapter 79
Chapter 79: Point Counterpoint
“…Good morning, Your Highness, Satrick.”
Kelusta frowned, glanced at the puddles on the ground still crackling with residual electricity, and offered a perfunctory smile devoid of any real emotion. “The next time you wish to greet me, I hope you’ll refrain from using such a… ‘surprising’ method.”
Satrick didn’t seem offended by her slightly displeased reminder. Instead, he gave a casual shrug, attempting to smooth things over and move on.
“Alright, I must once again offer my sincerest apologies for my rudeness just now—but please allow me to add, that was quite a brilliant display of water magic. I’ve never seen a first-year student with such outstanding combat awareness, able to launch a competent counterattack against an enemy in such a short amount of time…”
At the Holy Light Magic Academy, the first-year curriculum was heavily skewed toward theory.
The focus was on adapting to the academy environment, so they only learned basic knowledge and had no opportunity to improve their magical abilities with the help of instructors.
The mysteries of this wondrous power, known as the “Remnants of Divine Power”… the academy wouldn’t allow students to begin exploring them until they reached their second year.
Therefore, from a practical standpoint, in the eyes of the second-year students, the vast majority of first-years were… well, just children. The kind you could knock over with a single finger.
—But Kelusta was different.
Satrick wore a smile, his hair seeming to be coated in a layer of dazzling gold under the sunlight. His eyes were somewhat deep, but his backlit position allowed him to firmly conceal every trace of inscrutable emotion within them.
A commoner mage who could master and precisely control the natural elements without any guidance… with Satrick’s keen eye for talent, he could see that her future was bound to be limitless.
This brown-haired girl was a longsword yet to be unsheathed. She seemed ordinary, but the moment she was drawn, she would undoubtedly be incomparably sharp, her brilliance on full display.
A person with such potential must either be held in one’s hand and put to use, or be decisively destroyed, leaving no opportunity for them to turn and strike back.
As the future wise monarch who was both cautious and adept at using people, Satrick unhesitatingly chose the former, given that Kelusta posed no threat to him.
—And his sister, Starangui, who saw her as a thorn in her side, had made the decision to “eliminate Kelusta root and stem,” which was, in its own way, an expression of choosing the latter.
In truth, Satrick had been hesitating for a long time about how to win Kelusta over at the right moment. After all, this highly vigilant commoner girl had rejected his advances time and again and had grown increasingly close to Gloria in private…
This was truly detrimental to Satrick’s plans.
It was common knowledge that the Silentdis Ducal Family stood on the same side as Starangui.
Thus, given the prince’s caution, the most prudent strategy was to first find a way to drive a wedge between Kelusta and Gloria. Once they had grown distant, he could then extend his offer of recruitment.
However, before he could devise a suitable plan to sow discord, certain changes had begun to occur, suddenly yet subtly, in the background.
Satrick’s previous move to seize control over the distribution of invitations to the potion conference seemed to have aroused Starangui’s suspicion and displeasure. Overnight, trade for several of his businesses was obstructed, and even the simple task of distributing invitations began to be plagued with problems.
It seemed this was his dear sister’s counterattack.
Therefore, once the second princess launched her offensive, it was likely that a talent like Kelusta—who had no background and had not yet been recruited by Satrick—would be the first to suffer.
This potential chain reaction forced Satrick to seize the “present,” a less-than-ideal opportunity, and once again tentatively extend an olive branch to Kelusta, even while she was still close with Gloria.
And now, this quiet, deserted forest path was the perfect place for a conversation.
—Step one in the heir’s guide to recruiting talent: offer praise and flattery.
One must praise the other party until they are overjoyed and in a position where they cannot refuse. This would significantly increase the success rate of recruitment.
“Since as long as I can remember, you are by far the most talented mage I have ever seen,” Satrick said. “If you were to advance to the second year… I must say, I’m afraid all the other students at the Holy Light Magic Academy would seem rather dim in comparison.”
“…”
Kelusta was stunned, momentarily unsure how to respond to this sudden, lofty praise.
“He’s trying to flatter you and make enemies for you, temporary host,” the system in her head exploded, speaking as if from experience, before Kelusta could even think of a reply. “Stay rational, know your place! Even if Satrick praises you to the high heavens, don’t you dare believe a word of his nonsense!”
“I know, don’t worry.”
Kelusta soothed the system and said coldly, “They’re just a few sugar-coated bullets laced with a bewitching potion. I learned my lesson the hard way when I was ten and Kevit used this trick to swindle a whole box of seashells from me. I don’t fall for that anymore.”
But the person opposite her was a prince, after all. Even though Kelusta had seen through most of his act, she couldn’t just shut him down rudely.
So, she put on a sweet, fake smile reserved for such occasions and replied with feigned humility and flawless tact, “Your Highness is too kind. How could I possibly be stronger than any of the seniors in the second year? I’ll accept the sentiment behind your praise—but you really shouldn’t say such things just to help me relax before my exam.”
The words seemed polite but carried a subtle barb, effortlessly deflecting the high praise Satrick had offered and labeling it a light, inoffensive “overstatement.”
Kelusta, the great Flower of Seaside Town, hadn’t earned her title for nothing. She had been praised since childhood without so much as a blush; was she really going to succumb to two half-hearted compliments from Satrick?
Across from her, the moment Kelusta finished speaking, Satrick narrowed his eyes slightly. He scanned the brown-haired girl, whose face was a picture of innocence and whose smile seemed utterly guileless, wondering if she was genuinely modest or simply shrewd.
…Judging by her expression and eyes, it seemed like genuine humility.
Perhaps it was the prudence of a good student that had allowed her to inadvertently maintain her composure and not swallow his sweet words?
But Satrick showed no sign of disappointment. He curled his lips into a subtle smile, his gaze fixed on Kelusta’s innocent eyes as he thought to himself: If one plan fails, there is always another.
—Step two in the heir’s guide to recruiting talent: use a combination of threats and inducements, a carrot and a stick.
One must grasp something the target cannot bear to part with while precisely posing questions that strike at the deepest, most irresistible desires buried in their heart.
Children from commoner backgrounds were often pure and simple. Generally, as long as their lives weren’t too unfortunate or miserable, their “family” was invariably their most easily manipulated weakness.
Kelusta didn’t look like someone who was mistreated at home, so Satrick decided to use “family” as the threat, while the empty promise of “a happy future” would serve as the carrot dangling before the donkey.
Having made his decision, the young prince blinked and said with a smile, “You’re right, one must be calm for an exam… As long as you have a good mindset, stay steady and careful, you’ll surely bring a fine report card home to your family.”
“Your Highness is absolutely right.” The brown-haired girl’s eyes flickered, but she maintained her usual demeanor and nodded in agreement.
“Speaking of which, I seem to recall, Miss Kelusta, that you came to the academy from a place called ‘Seaside Town’?” Satrick asked casually. “It’s a very remote town, isn’t it… You live there with your father. Is it very difficult for you?”
Kelusta’s fingertips trembled slightly. She looked at him with a bewildered expression and said with some hesitation, “It’s not difficult.”
But her inner thoughts were a stark contrast. The moment he mentioned Seaside Town, she had already flooded the system with a barrage of roars. “What is he trying to do? Use my dad to threaten me into working for him?!”
“…I’m afraid so.” The system was also displeased. “Tch, a shrewd politician. He should really strike himself with a bolt of lightning to purge some of that wicked bad luck.”
“Good idea,” Kelusta agreed expressionlessly. “If I weren’t sure I’d lose, I’d love to throw him in the lake and drown him.”
However, even as the target of his recruitment was letting her thoughts soar on the verge of criminality, Satrick’s routine was not yet complete.
Seeing Kelusta’s stunned expression, he felt a little more at ease, his eyebrows even arching slightly, confident that she was clearly shocked by his detailed intelligence.
“But from what I also know, you haven’t been home once since enrolling, have you? Forgive my impertinence, but do you not miss your father?”
Having raised his hand for the slap, it was time to offer the sweet date. Satrick smiled at the brown-haired girl, whose surprised expression was now tinged with wariness, and said magnanimously, “It’s because your hometown is far from the capital, isn’t it? That’s a small matter, really, nothing to worry about… If you’re willing, I can immediately arrange for a residence in the capital for you and your father. I guarantee you’ll both be satisfied.”
Hmm… forget it. In the eyes of the new and improved Kelusta, such a promise seemed far too stingy.
Previously, if Satrick had pointed these two things out so meaningfully, she might have hesitated a little, wary of him making a move against Sogeta.
But now, with the invitation from the Amirium Ducal Family delivered, Kelusta had at least a fifty percent chance of having that mountain of gold at her back. She naturally didn’t care for the pittance the prince was shaking from between his fingers.
—Besides, even if the reunion with her family didn’t work out, there was still Gloria.
Even if her behind-the-scenes boss Gloria went mad and decided to continue targeting Seaside Town, before the war began and they truly became enemies, arranging for a few people to protect her father from Satrick would be an easy task.
Therefore, the second tactic of threats and inducements had no effect on her whatsoever.
“Thank you ever so much for your kindness, Your Highness,” Kelusta said, curtsying as she graciously declined. “But my father and I are homebodies. We feel ill at ease living anywhere else… I also plan to return home upon graduation rather than stay in the capital. It seems I must regretfully decline your generous offer.”
Satrick: “…”
She even refused free real estate?
This was one tough nut to crack, wasn’t it?
The suspicion in his eyes deepened, yet he still couldn’t find any clues in Kelusta’s sincere attitude.
…Could it be that he was overthinking things, and this girl had simply managed to avoid his traps by chance, thanks to her own noble qualities—humility and simplicity?
After all, she looked so sweet and naive, not at all like someone who was cunning.
Deceived by her appearance, Satrick struggled for a moment before deciding to temporarily lower his guard and proceed with his third strategy.
—Step three in the heir’s guide to recruiting talent: exchange sincerity for sincerity. A qualified leader must understand the principle of giving and taking, learning to make full use of the resources and opportunities at hand to bestow favors upon subordinates in exchange for their gratitude and loyalty.
“Very well, if that is your wish, I will of course respect it,” Satrick said, putting on a regretful expression and sighing. “But I still insist that you are a person of great potential, Miss Kelusta. If you were to return to your hometown after graduation, it would truly be a great loss for the kingdom.”
“…” Kelusta. “???”
My goodness, you master of flattery, I don’t think I dare accept that one.
She cautiously remained silent, her eyes fixed on Satrick’s expression and movements. She watched as he suddenly raised his arm, placing his white-gloved right hand over his heart.
…A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Kelusta.
Sure enough, in the next second, Satrick, who had adopted a formal pose, extended his left hand toward Kelusta, sighed softly, and said gently:
“Since you are unwilling to accept either spiritual praise or material gifts, then I can only express my admiration for you indirectly…”
Kelusta’s expression stiffened slightly. As if realizing something, she scraped her toes against the ground and took a small step back, her mind filled with a string of curses.
And the blond prince’s next words were, indeed, just as she had expected.
“Miss Kelusta, I would like to invite you to this year’s Royal Ball. Might I have the honor of your presence?”
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