Chapter 225: The Power of Stratagem Students

Chapter 225

The Power of Stratagem Students

Nadia and her followers each prepared 1 or 2 stratagems to trap beasts, increasing the safety of the small camp. Surprisingly, it wasn’t just 1 or 2 stratagem creators who thought this way. Most of them were from wealthy families or had considerable resources. Additionally, they had been selected by Professor Nico, who ensured their families were financially capable of supporting their training. It was no wonder they were willing to spend money on stratagems, even if it cost several gold coins.

As Ellie spread her spores around, she noticed more and more Stratagem Creation Branch students secretly setting up their prepared equipment. Some stratagems were designed to repel intruders, some to create illusions to confuse enemies and keep them from entering the camp, and some, like Nadia’s, were for attacking.

After setting up their stratagems, they would leave a symbol—two 2-pronged branches stuck together—to indicate a stratagem had been placed, warning passersby to be cautious. This symbol was universally recognized in every kingdom, a mutual agreement among stratagem creators.

Initially, their efforts in helping this small camp went unnoticed. However, when the hunters returned to camp after hunting large animals, they saw that the camp was now surrounded by stratagems.

Although it felt like burying millions of gold coins in the ground, the hunters didn’t complain since they weren’t paying for it themselves. The benefits were significant. With stratagems encircling their camp, their safety reached the highest level. Thus, even if they didn’t have night guards, they needed not fear beasts attacking!

The unwanted help from the stratagem creators proved highly beneficial...Perhaps the decision to set up a temporary camp had been calculated based on the background of their families all along.

Aman wasn’t foolish. He knew that staying in one place too long during a battle could attract beasts. Most students were taught this. However, Aman was different; he had more experience and knew that there was no fixed way in fighting. It was necessary to adapt to the situation and manpower.

Seeing that their group had many stratagem users, he announced his plan in advance, understanding that these wealthy students would prepare as much as possible. Unlike other students who might see stratagem creation students as a burden, Aman knew how to make the best use of them.

Prince Jason was also quite clever. Instead of scattering the stratagem creators across various groups, he decided to gather them together. He heard that Aman and Ellie had already selected the stratagem creators that were the key direct disciples, so he wanted to join Aman’s group to maximize their usefulness. Perhaps...this mutual understanding of the cunning people led to their cooperation. After all, if Aman didn’t want to, would he not dared to openly refuse?

Well, Ellie never expected the two heroes of the story to be saints. If the heroine was already a bit of a headache, why shouldn’t the heroes be even bigger headaches?

After spreading spores around the camp, Ellie felt more at ease. Even with the protection provided by the stratagems, she trusted her own power the most. Returning to her tent, she noticed some stratagem creators gathered together. They were secondary students of Professor Nico. Seeing Ellie, they immediately greeted her politely, not just because of her status as a duchess but because they hoped to follow her in the future, possibly gaining favor and points from her.

“Duchess Ellie, I thought you were resting,” one of the female students greeted. Ellie simply shook her head in response.

“I was inspecting the area and saw what you all did for the camp. I must thank you for that,” Ellie acknowledged their efforts, making most of the students laugh.

“No need for thanks. If it weren’t for you, we might have been dispersed and become a burden to others. Or...we would have been 10 stratagem creators lumped together. Without stratagems, what else can stratagem creators like us do? It’s fortunate we are under Young Lord Aman’s leadership.”

“Indeed. What we did was nothing. If Duchess Ellie learns more about using stratagems, you’ll master it quickly.”

“That’s right,” the surrounding students chimed in, brushing off her gratitude. They owed more to Aman and Ellie’s group. Even though the prince’s intervention allowed them to stay together in the end, the main force and decision-maker was still Second Young Lord Aman.

The Demon that everyone feared was actually an excellent leader. While the prince struggled with giving orders, Second Young Lord Aman, with his experience, quickly assigned tasks to everyone. Otherwise, how could such a large camp be set up before nightfall?

“By the way, Duchess Ellie, are you hungry? We’ve gathered to prepare food.”

“Since we can’t fight, make potions, or help with transportation, our job is to provide these conveniences.”

“When setting up the tents, we wanted to help too, but everyone’s tents were easy to set up. We ended up being of little use,” they joked among themselves. Seeing their relaxed faces, Ellie felt that this mission wouldn’t be too difficult for everyone.

Partly because they had already done what they believed in; Aman gave them the opportunity to set up stratagems around the camp for safety. Another reason was that they were friends in the same discipline. So, in this situation where no one else wanted them, as soon as someone extended a helping hand, they were eager to perform their duties well, even if many came from prestigious families.

“So, what do you plan to cook?” Ellie asked with interest. She had some cooking skills and thought she might be able to help.

“We brought some fresh meat from our families. Fresh meat doesn’t last long, so we should use it before the dried meat. It’s better to save the dried meat for later. We’re thinking of simple dishes using fresh meat or vegetables.”

“But we haven’t decided what to cook yet. We’re beginners when it comes to cooking since we’ve never gone into the kitchen to cook. Usually, when we go on missions, we just buy food day by day. This time it seems more complicated,” they glanced at each other, laughing dryly. Since they were all from wealthy families, it wasn’t surprising that they hadn’t had to cook for themselves.

“Is that so? I have some experience in cooking. Maybe I could help with this meal...”

“No, no, we can’t let Duchess Ellie cook.”

“Exactly, even if you have experience, it’s not suitable for someone of your status to do such work. Let us try.” Ellie initially thought of helping them, but she never thought that they would strongly refuse.

“Oh? Are you going against Duchess Ellie’s wishes? Didn’t she say she’d cook for us? Why stop her from having fun?” As the students from Stratagem Creation Branch were conversing happily, the voice suddenly interrupted, and the newcomer was none other than the bothersome prince!

Aman, Koross, Wint, and Zoey seemed to be out of the camp. Ellie heard them say they were going to hunt beasts for this week’s mission and would rest afterward. Naturally, none of them wanted the prince and his follower to join, so they slipped out secretly while the prince napped.

Anyone else might not be willing to work alone, but Aman, who disliked the prince and didn’t want to be near him, felt more comfortable working only with his men. Ellie even heard that next week, Aman would let the prince and his follower do the mission alone, alternating weekly responsibilities.

Of course, this seemed unfair since the prince and Ryker were just 2, while Aman’s group had 4. But fairness wouldn’t earn him the title “Aman, the Demon of the Setter Family.” If it were him planning...this outcome was normal!

Ellie ignored the prince’s words. Since he had risen, there was nothing else to interest her. While occasional conversations could at least improve her relations with others, she wasn’t inclined to chat with someone so irritating.

Keeping her mood intact was her first priority. So, when the prince appeared, Ellie immediately turned to the others and said,

“Since everyone is planning to cook, I’ll take my leave.” With that, she prepared to walk away. The surrounding students sensed the tension between the two. Although Prince Jason still had a smile on his face, his expression became awkward as Ellie made her intention to leave clear. It seemed that his reason for initiating conversation was to approach Ellie.

The stratagem branch students exchanged glances. They knew Ellie’s demeanor was typical. As a member of the Setter family, she didn’t seek power, not even from the royal family. Her refusal to form alliances wasn’t wrong. The fault lay with...the prince, who already had a fiancée and knew Duchess Ellie was strongly protected by Eldest Young Lord Owen, wasn’t it?

Despite knowing this, why did the prince continue to approach her, causing discomfort? Everyone silently questioned this in their minds.

“As soon as you see me, you want to leave? Why do I feel that Duchess Ellie doesn’t like me much? Have I, this prince, done something to offend you?”

Prince Jason wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip. He knew Aman and his group had gone on a mission from Ryker’s words. It was too late to follow them now. With that dog out of the way, approaching Ellie seemed like a good chance, so he came here.

Of course, Ellie’s reaction was predictable. Her brother behaved the same way, wanting to leave when he met him and didn’t give him any chance to speak. Originally, he thought the sister would maintain decorum due to his princely status. But it seemed the support from the Setter family had turned her to be one of them completely...

The group of people who believed they had enough power to disregard others!

“How could you say that to me, Your Highness? Are you trying to put the death penalty on me?” Ellie kept her face calm and asked directly.

Expressing dislike for a prince to the extent of avoiding him was akin to disrespecting the royal family. If such a thing were said aloud, it would bring trouble. Even as a duchess, her status didn’t protect her from the consequences of disrespect. Only becoming a princess could shield her from such accusations.

However, being labeled a princess wouldn’t free her from the annoyance of this prince. Ellie didn’t understand why he was so fixated on Luke, continually pestering her. She knew his interest in Ellie wasn’t romantic but a means to use her as a bridge to Luke.

“Your words are quite similar to Second Young Lord Aman’s. It seems the Setter family has trained you well,” Prince Jason couldn’t resist sneering. He hadn’t done anything to offend her. Just because he was a prince and she was the Setter family’s people, she already decided to oppose him?

Why did everyone have to wear these masks? If he were an ordinary person, a mere student, and Ellie were just another student, would she still treat him the same way?

The prince seemed to have forgotten that when he was the mysterious man and Ellie was "Luke," their relationship had nothing to do with his status as a prince or her association with the Setter family. Yet, Ellie still chose to walk away from this annoying person. In reality, his prejudice against the concepts of "family," "class," and "lineage" made him overlook the truth about his own nature.

Perhaps...the person who was most fixated on these issues wasn’t those he was prejudiced against, but himself!!

"If you have something to say to me, Your Highness, please speak. You are a man with a fiancée, and so am I. It’s not appropriate for us to be overly familiar. It has nothing to do with whether I’m from the Setter family or not. Any man who approaches a woman and wants to get close without being friends is not welcome by me."

"You may not care about your fiancée’s feelings, but I do. My actions are not just about preserving my own honor, but also respecting my fiancé. You may say that you never wanted this relationship in the first place, but I think that’s wrong."

"The people you should be concerned about are those who find themselves stuck with the weak, unable to firmly reject them. Instead of blaming others, I think you should reflect on yourself. Until you are strong enough to ignore others’ words and can act without having to care of their commands, so...during this time, you should take responsibility for your weakness and fulfill your duties instead of running away like an ungrown person."

At first, Ellie didn’t intend to speak to him, but it seemed that the prince wasn’t only prejudiced against the Jarlon family. He was setting himself up as an enemy to all nobles with more power than him.

No matter how strong such a person might be, Ellie didn’t see him as fit to lead the kingdom. A selfish person who thought he was the greatest had likely never been confronted with this truth before. But...if he intended to create trouble for her, he would have to endure her blunt words!!