Chapter 103
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: A Lingering Scent
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“What was that?”
“It was no mere Vile Breed. It must have been a demon.”
The demon’s self-destruction failed to achieve its purpose. Unluckily for it, an Archmage was present.
The moment the Chancellor sensed the impending explosion, he immediately enveloped the seed in magic.
Rosalia lent a hand, and though the explosion broke through, that was as far as it went.
Rosalia and Pernyan were injured, but their wounds weren't fatal.
“Damn, the concealment magic circle has been breached.”
The Chancellor clicked his tongue as he checked the damaged magic circle on the wall.
“Does that mean demonic energy has escaped to the outside?”
“A very small amount, but yes.”
“Then what do we do?”
“There will be almost no one who can sense that level of demonic energy.”
“Almost?”
“Magic only strives for perfection; it can never be perfect. But there are few within the academy sensitive enough to notice this. And none who would recognize it for what it is.”
Pernyan nodded vaguely as he drank a potion. He had no choice but to believe the words of the Chancellor, of all people.
“Still, this must be a shame for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hasn't the opportunity to make a fortune vanished?”
Even amidst the explosion, some remnants were left behind. Albeit as blackened piles of ash.
Pernyan realized it had been finished off even more thoroughly than if Aint had killed it with his power.
“It is a pity. But a bigger problem than that is that the demons have now clearly recognized Aint.”
This was clearly a self-destruct aimed at Aint. Had it not been Aint who was about to deliver the final blow, things might not have escalated this far.
It was as good as a public declaration that they would no longer stand by and watch Aint.
“That is also true.”
“But it’s not all bad.”
“Why is that?”
“Conversely, doesn't it show just how much fear the Armians strike into the demons?”
If they weren't afraid, there would be no reason to keep him in check. No need to self-destruct.
Just as humans fear demons, demons also watch and fear the Armians.
Whether that stemmed from the first emperor's legacy or the power of light the Armians possessed didn't matter.
What mattered was that Aint was the only hero who could save this world, and that hero was in Pernyan's grasp.
“That was already proven when Andromalius descended.”
“That's true. What will you do now, Chancellor?”
“About what?”
“It's clear there are more Vile Breeds hiding within the academy.”
Excluding Pernyan, who had read the Prophecy Book, no one knew that Aaron had been a Vile Breed.
And that meant there was a high probability that Vile Breeds, yet uncaught, were still festering within the academy, which had already gone through one major ordeal.
“Don't you worry. It won't happen a second time.”
As he said this, the Chancellor's gaze briefly flickered over to Aint. Pernyan didn't miss it.
But he let it be.
The Chancellor using Aint to find the Vile Breeds would ultimately benefit Aint.
The more uncertain the future became, the more Aint's growth had to be prioritized.
* * *
“You’ve been coming often lately. You used to say it was too expensive and wouldn't leave the academy unless it was vacation.”
“I wish that were still the case. But given the circumstances, I had no choice.”
The Duke straightened his posture. The fact that Pernyan, who was too frugal to use the teleportation circle often, had come in person meant the matter was significant.
“I am aware that your research has been grounded.”
“It's not my research, it's Professor Rosalia's.”
“It’s your money, so it’s yours.”
“The professor gets all the fame.”
“The one who reaps the practical benefits is the real winner.”
He had a point. If Professor Rosalia’s research succeeded, Pernyan would make an enormous amount of money.
“Do you know why the research was grounded?”
“I have a rough idea.”
“Your guess is correct.”
Tap, tap. The Duke lightly tapped his desk with his fingers and continued.
“Cockroaches always find a way to come back, no matter how determined you are to exterminate them. But the interval is too short. The Chancellor's response was inadequate.”
“Thanks to that, my investment has gone up in smoke. Shall I demand compensation for damages?”
“Don't say things you don't mean. If you try to bite a tiger half-heartedly, you'll be the one who gets hunted.”
Considering the Archmage's reputation and the Chancellor's connections, provoking him over something like this was a bad move.
“You are aware of what Professor Rosalia is researching. They had planted a seed inside it.”
“A seed? What does it grow into?”
“A demon is summoned.”
“……”
The Duke fell silent for a moment at the unrealistic words. But he soon nodded.
“Indeed, Andromalius was summoned. There’s no reason a second demon couldn't be.”
It was because there was already a precedent.
“So they intended to summon a demon at the Continental Academic Conference, using the Mana Stone aggregate as a power source.”
The Duke immediately saw through the Vile Breeds' plan.
“A scheme aimed at both us and the Vienderks. If a demon were summoned there, no matter how well it was contained, more than half the attendees would have died.”
Of course, among those who flocked to the Continental Academic Conference, there were more than a few notable individuals.
There were powerful people and those who brought strong escorts, but their opponent was a demon.
Had the Vile Breeds’ wishes come true, it would have been a simple yet deadly plan, resulting in immense loss of life and property.
“You have done a great thing.”
“I only did what was necessary.”
“So? You came here in person because there’s something you want, is there not?”
All the more so because it was a plan that could have framed both the Fallenbergs and the Vienderks as Vile Breeds colluding with demons.
“Professor Rosalia is recreating the research material.”
“I know. The Chancellor is lending a hand, I presume.”
The massive amounts of Mana Stones and requests for mage support flowing into the academy. The postponement of the Continental Academic Conference, led by the Chancellor and the Pope.
Knowing all the circumstances, it wasn't difficult to guess.
“I don't think the Vile Breeds will quietly back down here.”
“You think they'll still target Professor Rosalia?”
“It's an object that holds enough magic to summon a demon. They targeted it because they knew that.”
“Indeed. From their perspective, if they could get their hands on it, it could become a trump card they could use at any time.”
The Duke stroked his chin.
“Therefore, I need an escort.”
“Take them.”
“More than simply protecting, I wish to set a trap.”
“You want a small, elite force to make them underestimate us, and they can't be ordinary, of course. I cannot lend you the Red Turtles.”
The Red Turtle Knights were Fallenberg's finest knight order.
Like the first knight orders of the other Electors, they were a military force that ranked among the best on the continent.
The Duke shook his head firmly.
“However…”
But one should always hear a person out.
“I can lend you their shells. Make sure you catch the Vile Breeds this time.”
Fallenberg's Second Knight Order. They were by no means a force to be referred to with a mere ‘at least.’
“Yes, I will.”
Pernyan bowed his head.
* * *
“Anything new?”
Aria rolled a red cherry-flavored candy around in her mouth.
“Unfortunately, no. In fact, I'd like to ask you the same. Have you found anything, Student Aria?”
“Nothing on my end, either.”
“So, no progress for either of us in the end.”
The Inquisitor, Girard Izeal, said, slurping his coffee.
“When I received the Chancellor's letter, I was determined to find every last Vile Breed in this world, but now that I'm here, I haven't found a single one besides the initial group. It's truly…”
After the Vile Breed incident, 13 Vile Breeds hiding in the academy were purged under the Chancellor's leadership.
But Girard didn't feel like that was all of them.
The ones who had been hiding so carefully finally revealed themselves, only for it to end so anticlimactically?
It couldn't be. It shouldn't be.
He had been staying at the academy with the conviction that there must be something more, but…
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have gone west.”
“There were Vile Breeds in Altriark.”
“That's what I'm saying. I stayed here to achieve something, but instead, I missed the chance to do so…”
Aria quietly watched Girard as he grumbled.
Her connection with him was no coincidence.
After returning from Altriark, Aria had used the Vile Breeds as a pretext to approach him, and Girard, who had been digging in the wrong places, eagerly took the bait.
Since then, they had been sharing information about Vile Breeds every two or three days.
‘The Vile Breed incident is just beginning. The Inquisitors' authority is bound to grow.’
The Inquisitors possessed a symbolic power bestowed upon them by the first emperor.
Once the Vile Breeds began to run rampant, their authority was certain to increase.
Forging connections with them in advance and sharing information would be an excellent choice, she thought.
“No results today, either. I was so sure there were more Vile Breeds hiding here, but perhaps I was mista—”
It was then.
“……”
He felt a small ripple from somewhere.
No, it wasn't small. It was just suppressed and condensed to feel small.
The underlying unpleasantness and eeriness made both of their eyes widen.
“The research building?”
It was the building that housed the professors' labs.
They were lucky. The teahouse they were in was close to the research building and was often visited by professors and their assistants.
The fact that he was more sensitive to mana than others also played a part. The same went for Aria, an elf.
As proof, the other people in the teahouse hadn't noticed the ripple.
“That's the Chancellor's lab over there. What could be happening?”
Having stayed for two months, she had the academy's layout memorized.
“…This is.”
“If I'm not mistaken, this is…”
Demonic energy.
It was utterly unpleasant, sticky, and foul. It was quite different from mana.
Of course, they couldn't be certain. Despite being an Inquisitor, Girard had never once encountered a demonic beast or a Vile Breed.
But it was worth investigating.
Girard rose from his seat.
“Are you going?”
“I have a good feeling about this.”
He felt as though his two months of effort were finally about to bear fruit.
“I'll go with you.”
Aria followed behind him.
And what they found was.
“…Sunbaenim?”
“Pernyan Fallenberg, coming out of the Chancellor's lab?”
It was Pernyan, emerging from the Chancellor's laboratory.
“…What are you going to do?”
Was this the look Pernyan wore when faced with a mountain of gold? Aria asked, watching Girard’s expression change rapidly.
“I believe you felt the same thing I did, Miss Aria.”
“……”
Should she nod? But Pernyan Sunbaenim seems to be involved.
It was definitely demonic energy. Unlike Girard, who was merely guessing, Aria had experienced demonic energy several times before and knew for certain.
“Can you get into the research building by any chance? I can't.”
“I can't either. The research building is off-limits to anyone who isn't a professor, an assistant, or someone with a professor's permission.”
“What if you borrowed some of Friedien's power?”
“Don't be ridiculous.”
Aria shook her head firmly.
Of course, there was a professor from Friedien who had come on the pretext of the Branch of the World Tree, and she was just as curious, but Pernyan’s involvement still bothered her.
“Then there’s no choice. We'll have to find another clue.”
“Are you saying you're going to follow Pernyan Sunbaenim?”
“I smell a Vile Breed. Since it's the Chancellor's lab, isn't it possible he was experimenting on a captured Vile Breed? Or perhaps torturing one.”
They didn't know it, but he was half right.
“Even if you follow Pernyan Sunbaenim, it's not like he'll tell you anything willingly, right?”
“I'm sure he won't. But I'm not in a position to worry about that right now.”
This was the first clue he'd found in two months. Like a thirsty man digging a well, he had to charge in first.
However.
“Ah.”
“…Can you use that, by any chance?”
When Pernyan immediately used a teleportation circle to depart for Fallenberg, the two could only stare at the empty magic circle.
“Of course not. A direct circle to Friedien doesn't even exist, and even if it did, traveling to another family's domain is impossible without the academy's approval.”
“Useless when I need it most.”
“If you'd like to compare which of us has more influence, the Friediens or the Inquisitors, I'd be happy to oblige.”
“A slip of the tongue. My apologies.”
His expression didn't look sorry at all.
“What happens if you just barge in and use the teleportation circle?”
“Are you joking? It only works if a mage activates it from the outside.”
“But there is a mage.”
“Where?”
Aria looked around, but Girard's gaze had been fixed on her from the very beginning.
“Don't be crazy. I'll get expelled.”
“You won't.”
“Using it without permission when there's a mage and a guard right there means knocking them out, doesn't it? If that's not grounds for expulsion, what is?”
“Hmm, I suppose it can't be helped.”
Girard sighed and gave up.
“We'll just have to wait for him to return. Seeing him suddenly go to his family home right after coming out of the place where I felt demonic energy only deepens my suspicion.”
There was definitely a connection.
Definitely.
Girard’s eyes burned with a fiery intensity.