Episode 358 Hyena and Collar (2)
Hugo swallowed dry saliva.
There was only one thing that immediately came to mind as to why Rudger had come to see him.
‘I came after knowing everything.’
I rolled my eyes and thought about how to overcome this situation.
Should I get away? Cut off the tail that someone else did? Or was it because of the threat of Lanfaltz?
Hugo’s head turned furiously.
Rudger had already seen through Hugo’s intentions.
Even though I was already on the defensive, I was thinking of running away until the end.
He is a very consistent man.
“Wasting each other’s time doesn’t stop here. Mr. Hugo Brutegg. I think you know better than anyone why I came.”
“That’s…”
“Or should I say it myself as the head of the planning department? You said you ate Russell Landfaltz’s money and tried to do frakchi inside?”
“…..”
After all his actions were exposed, Hugo kept his mouth shut.
He implicitly noticed that no matter what he said here, it would go back against him.
Seeing that, Rudger laughed inwardly.
Indeed, in a situation related to one’s safety, he is a human being who is surprisingly good at it.
It’s like a canary in a coal mine.
“Miss Hugo Brutegg. Did you like the old position where you wielded so much power? To the extent of bowing down to outsiders and becoming a faithful dog?”
“…Be careful with your words.”
“Careful? That’s your job, not mine. You don’t seem to know what the situation is, but you are at stake for doing something wrong.”
“evidence. yes do you have proof? Proof that I made some kind of deal with Landfaltz!”
Hugo laughed to himself.
there can’t be In the first place, it was impossible to find anything that could be called evidence in Seorn.
No matter how much Rudger is the head of the planning department, he has no authority to check his account transaction details.
It was all just a heart attack.
To his surprise, however, Ludger held out a piece of paper in front of Hugo’s face.
“You would have thought that there was none, but it seems that President Russell did not.”
Russell was kind enough to collect evidence that he had given Hugo the money.
The moment Hugo saw it, he was bewildered like a man who had encountered a ghost.
“How is this…”
“You should have trusted someone to trust. Did you think that Russell Landfaltz would use you and then leave you alone? You should have noticed that at the point you struck a deal with him and decided to be a faithful dog, he was on a leash you couldn’t get off.”
Or maybe he knew that, but he wanted to live happily in Seorn.
Rather than a soldier who couldn’t do anything in Cheolongseong, he probably wanted to become a king who reigned there, even if it was a sandcastle.
“I am…”
Hugo shuddered, realizing that he had nowhere else to run.
Previously, he could have covered up the incident by knocking out the teachers of the noble faction himself.
It couldn’t be now.
“Miss Hugo Brutegg. Why do you think the president and I just let you go?”
At the sudden question, Hugo looked at Ludger with a gaze asking what he was talking about.
“The reason we left you alone is not because you are a difficult person to deal with. In fact, I could kick him out whenever I wanted.”
“That can’t be.”
“If you don’t want to believe it, you don’t have to believe it. But we dared to leave it alone. Do you know why? At least because I needed a head to control the nobles.”
“what?”
“Hugo Burtegg. Although you are not very outstanding as a teacher or a wizard. It was a necessary evil that was indispensable only in factional politics.”
Hugo is the focal point of the teachers of the aristocratic clique.
If Hugo was expelled in such a situation, the aristocratic teachers would have risen in unison.
As a result, it was not because he was outstanding that Hugo was able to keep his position.
The president didn’t want to disturb the beehive, so I just left it alone.
“If it’s the same aristocratic faction, no matter what mistake that side makes, they’ll try to cover it up quietly. Because the arm bends inward.”
However, even the same nobles could not cover the incident related to Russell Ranpaltz.
“If I kept walking with my head down, at least the opportunity would have come someday. I don’t know why you’re taking your anger out on yourself.”
The sarcasm broke Hugo’s patience.
“What do you mean you know! As a noble, you have to watch the commoners set foot in Ceorn!”
“Was that a problem?”
“Is it a problem? okay! problem! That’s a damn problem too! In the past, they wouldn’t even be able to meet eyes from the outside, let alone enter Seorn! But since some time ago, it’s not enough that I came inside confidently, so I dare to stand up to the aristocrats!”
For Hugo, magic was a study that proved a kind of authority that only a select few could use.
It is the nobility who must learn magic. A noble can use magic.
It was a privilege that could never be granted to commoners.
For Hugo, who had to watch with his own eyes as the years passed and the privilege was taken away, it was truly a situation where bloody tears flowed.
“…..”
Ludger looked at Hugo, who shouted in a fit of evil.
I didn’t intend to tune in to each and every one of Hugo’s absurd sophistry.
In the first place, no matter what Ludger says here, Hugo will not accept it.
In the first place, the two people’s lives were very different.
This is Hugo, who has been treated well by a good family all his life and has been instilled with pride as an aristocrat.
Would you understand if I said to him, ‘The world has changed and you must change’?
It is to deny the basis of one’s life.
And when faced with these situations, the average person resists change more vehemently than accepting it.
You are right, you are wrong, the world is wrong.
It transcends social status and leads to conflict between generations.
“Damn it! It’s all because of you! If it wasn’t for you and that bitch, I wouldn’t be like this! Why the hell would you want to give to others when you have such a privilege? Was public opinion so important? I’m trying to boast that I’m such a good person who at least knows how to give?!”
Hugo spat and shouted.
Then, as if he was aware of his situation, he drooped his wildly shaking shoulders.
“damn. I mean, I didn’t come here to do this.”
Even if I get angry, what does this mean?
It’s all over already.
“Hugo Burtegg. I don’t know what they lived for and what efforts they made for it. I have no intention of paying attention. Isn’t that the same for you?”
“…..”
“We have no idea what we are going to do or what we want to do. I didn’t even tell you. If you ask me what does that mean? In the end, they and we are the same. So let me make it easy for you.”
“What do you mean by making it easy?”
“You lost the fight against us. There is only one clear truth. What could be clearer than this?”
“…..”
“It was a noble mission and a suitable reason, so there was no need for it from the beginning. We fought and I won and you lost.”
Hugo’s eyes widened at Ludger’s words.
“After all, isn’t that what the world is all about? If you lose, you’re done. Above all, it is the simple and clear truth of the world.”
“damn.”
Even Hugo couldn’t bear to deny that.
He trudged over to a nearby sofa and sat down.
“under. damn. okay. It was like that. Is it already over?”
Hugo, who had been looking up at the ceiling helplessly, lowered his head and stared at Ludger.
He asked with eyes full of resignation and regret.
“So what are we going to do now? Are you going to refer me to the Disciplinary Committee and expel me from Seorn?”
“That is one of the ways.”
“There is no other way. However, there will be not a few people who are against this decision.”
“Your disposition has been virtually decided. I came here just to inform you of my decision.”
Whatever it was, at least getting kicked out of Seorn seemed certain.
“Hugo Burtegg. First of all, let me say congratulations.”
“Congratulations? Who are you teasing now?”
“At least you will still retain your position as teacher Seorn.”
“what?”
Hugo asked what he was talking about and his cheeks twitched.
Even if you are fired right away, there is nothing to say, but the position will be maintained?
“Of course, along with the pay cut, the cost support for classes and the support for research expenses will be drastically reduced. And I have to let go of all the powers that you have for supporting other research facilities and clubs.”
“her.”
In effect, it was said that only the position was maintained, and all limbs were cut off.
Even if only the head and torso survive, is that really living?
But Rudger knows.
That a human named Hugo Brutegra wants to survive at least this way.
“…is that a condition?”
“why. Do you think it is too generous?”
Hugo nodded without speaking.
In this case, it was necessary to explain.
“At first, I even considered kicking him out completely at this opportunity. But I soon realized that it was meaningless.”
“Why?”
“Even if we kick them out, a new Hugo Brutegue will appear someday.”
Hugo didn’t ask what that meant.
It was very realistic.
Even if Hugo is expelled and teachers who oppose it leave one by one, the vacancy cannot be filled with only teachers from commoners.
If that happens, the support of the nobles will decrease, and the nobles who want to come to Seorn among the students will also disappear.
Besides, kicking him out is like telling the outside that there is a problem inside Ceorn.
It cost too much for that.
“Then…”
The face of Hugo, who had fallen into despair, showed signs of hope and relief.
Rudger lightly lashed out at Hugo.
“Don’t like it too much. It’s not because you’re good at it and let it stay.”
“…But will there be anyone who can replace me?”
“There is none.”
Rudger smiled and signaled outside.
“Just come in.”
The door to the office opened and a new person entered.
Hugo looked at the man and opened his eyes wide.
“Mrs. Chris Benimore?”
Chris ignored Hugo’s gaze asking why the hell are you here.
Instead, it was Rudger who answered.
“Hugo Burtegg. From now on, Mr. Chris Benimore will take your place.”
“What what?”
“They are not inferior to the same aristocratic family, and are generally closer to the moderate faction, so they are the most suitable.”
When Hugo looked at Chris, wondering if that was true, Chris nodded.
“It happened.”
“Miss Chris. Why on earth…”
“We can’t continue this meaningless fight inside forever.”
“It’s a meaningless fight…”
Hugo was quite shocked by the fact that Chris, a fellow aristocrat, denied his struggle.
But Chris had no intention of retracting his words.
He saw what dangers lurked out there that day in the battle of the aqueducts.
how dangerous the world is.
And how weak the students are if they get caught up in it.
It was for this reason that Rudger chose Chris.
There was no coercion. Rather, it was Chris Benimore who actively accepted the offer.
Hugo eventually left, staggering like a man whose soul had escaped.
He will now live a life like a scarecrow in Seorn, let alone the glory of the past.
But no one could be blamed.
Because all of these results were chosen by Hugo himself.
“Can I leave it as it is? I might make an extreme choice.”
“Because he is sincere in his eyes more than anyone else, he will never do anything like that.”
“You’re piercing your opponent to the point of being frightening.”
“Thank you for the compliment. And congratulations. You are now the owner of this place.”
The spacious office occupied by Hugo.
After Hugo was kicked out, Chris is now the owner of this place.
“joy. I didn’t even want this in the first place.”
“Are you still uncomfortable about this?”
“I’d be lying if I didn’t. But I have no intention of hanging on like I used to. Mr. Hugo went beyond the limit, and I agree with this result itself.”
But even though I understood it in my head, my emotions couldn’t.
There must have been a time when we were friendly with each other as nobles.
Even if it was a relationship made only of calculation.
“Still, I paid off my debt with this.”
“What debt are you talking about?”
“It made me meet her again. Say thank you again.”
The words and actions themselves are still disapproving of this side.
However, he could not hide the emotion of joy that was subtly revealed in his voice.
“…Ah yes.”
Doing such a troublesome thing just by letting Bellaluna meet again.
Rudger shook his head as if he didn’t understand Chris.
* * *
[Mysterious Night] will be held soon.
Less than a few days would be enough to be away, but in case of an unexpected event, Ludger went to inspect Royal Street one last time.
He said he hadn’t seen anyone suspicious since the last time he dealt with the Pablo family.
Rather, the good news is that more people are wary of this side and want to form an alliance since they swallowed up Ranpaltz.
‘Not bad.’
Refusing Hans’ offer to see him off, Ludger went out into the streets at night.
The streets a few blocks away from here are shining brilliantly even in dark weather.
Perhaps because of that, the street where Rudger was standing felt thicker and darker.
“….this.”
No. It was not an illusion.
It doesn’t feel dark, only this area is particularly dark.
I didn’t even see any passers-by wandering around.
Are you a guest in the middle of the night?
Ludger turned his head and stared at the green robed uninvited guests who surrounded him.
What is nestled in the softly blowing wind.
A strong grassy smell.
“You have guests from afar.”
The elven assassins, thinking that there was still room for it, came.