Chapter 113
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: An Invitation to the North
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I returned to the academy.
“Thank you for your hard work, Professor.”
“You too.”
The Mana Stone conglomerate was safely entrusted to the Dragon God Cult, and Rosalia returned to her position as a professor at the academy.
“Thank you, everyone.”
“Not at all. It was a good experience. Please call on us again if something like this happens in the future.”
“It was a pleasure, Young Master!”
Once the Red Shell Knights returned to their family estate, Pernyan went back to La Vie Douce Dormitory to recover from his travels.
“…Traveling is always a pain.”
It wasn't the first time he'd traveled the continent for business, but there was a clear difference between staying in a comfortable bed and roughing it in forests and mountains.
“I should build a mobile home one day.”
What was so great about money? It was the ability to do whatever you wanted.
With enough money, it should be possible, even if it was difficult right now.
“Hyde.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Did you look into it?”
“Yes, it seems the midterm and final exams will be combined and held in a simplified format.”
“Combined and simplified?”
The autumn break had lasted a full three weeks.
Normally, this period would have included midterms, but due to the Continental Academic Conference, even the lecture schedule for the finals had been delayed.
“Yes, I found a manual. It states, ‘Once every five years, the midterm and final exams will be combined and replaced with a simplified test at the end of the semester.’”
“What exactly is this simplified test?”
“Practical sparring.”
“The most academy-like method.”
“Indeed.”
So, they were just going to combine all subjects and end it with a single sparring match.
It seemed crude at first glance, but it was typical of the academy, whose primary goal was to produce strong knights and mages.
“What about the administration department?”
“They're just combining them into a written exam.”
“Sparring, huh. What about artifacts?”
“It's not certain, but they will likely be prohibited.”
I’ll probably lose the top spot this time.
Well, it couldn't be helped. He had only aimed for it because Ruina wanted it; Pernyan himself had no particular attachment to being first.
‘This time it's individual sparring, so my wins and losses probably won't affect Ruina anyway…’
Pernyan decided to relax.
‘So, does this mean nothing else will happen until the end of the semester?’
He didn't know what the Prophecy Book would foretell, but he thought the chances of anything else happening here were low.
‘Whether the events of the Continental Academic Conference followed the prophecy or not.’
If the demon had been summoned as prophesied, there would be no need for them to do anything more there.
‘Now that the prophecy has been derailed, they'll probably be lying low for a while.’
Of course, these were the same people who had murdered eleven royals and nobles even after the demon summoning failed.
He couldn't be certain, but with the chancellor sharpening his blade, he hoped there wouldn't be any trouble, at least not within the academy.
‘There's no guarantee things will follow the prophecy anymore…’
Tsk, he clicked his tongue, disappointed at having lost his biggest advantage.
“For now, I'll try to live a faithful academy life.”
“What about the Vile Breeds?”
“For the time being, that's not my concern.”
He couldn't get involved unless it was happening at the academy.
“That's why I met with His Holiness the Pope and told Duke Grancis about the demon.”
They would handle it now, so he didn't need to worry.
He just had to remain vigilant about the Prasia Kingdom.
“Ah, speaking of which, how are things with the Blacksteel mine?”
“About that…”
Pernyan, who had intended to rest, started working again.
* * *
After the Continental Academic Conference, the academy returned to its daily routine.
“It's been a while.”
“It has. How have you been?”
Ruina, whom he met again in the lecture hall, had a slightly sharper air about her compared to three weeks ago.
“I spent a little money.”
“Finally?”
He had expected a cliché answer like ‘I've been training hard,’ so this was surprising.
Pernyan asked again.
“Yes. I spent it on something I think is meaningful.”
“Something meaningful?”
“You'll find out soon enough. More importantly, I have something to tell you. Can we talk for a moment after the lecture?”
“Of course.”
As they were chatting, Professor Grad and Professor Rosalia entered.
“The break that disrupted the semester is over, so stay sharp. The remaining time will be quite tight.”
“Yes, sir!”
The class, resuming after three weeks, was merely a review to see if they'd forgotten what they'd learned, and then it ended.
“You said you had something to tell me?”
Pernyan went to a teahouse with Ruina.
“Yes. A letter came from my father while you were at the Continental Academic Conference.”
“From the Margrave?”
“Yes, it was a request to come home for the break…”
Ruina hesitated for a moment, glancing at Pernyan before speaking.
“…He asked me to bring you with me.”
“…Me?”
Why all of a sudden?
To be honest, it wasn't like he had no idea.
‘Which is it? Because I waived the interest? Because I partnered with Ruina? Or because I gave Ruina an elixir and acted friendly? Or is it because of the demonic beasts and Vile Breeds?’
In fact, there were too many possibilities.
“Yes. He said he wanted to discuss the demonic beasts and the Vile Breeds.”
“So that's it.”
“Yes, that's right.”
Ruina deliberately avoided his gaze, not mentioning that the letter contained more, and Pernyan, lost in thought, didn't notice her strange behavior.
‘I knew I'd have to go there someday.’
In the distant future, at an unknown time, a massive army of demonic beasts begins to march south from the north.
And since traces of the beasts were discovered north of Bercefe, the Bercefe territory became the most likely location.
Pernyan had no intention of letting that happen.
If possible, he wanted to disrupt the demonic beasts before they marched south, and if that failed, he wanted to prepare the best possible defense to prevent the territory from falling.
To do that, cooperation with Margrave Bercefe was essential.
‘What exactly is the situation in the north, how many demonic beasts are there, and can Bercefe be defended with some support…’
But it wasn't without its problems.
‘For now, Prasia is more urgent than Bercefe…’
An army of demonic beasts would also rise in Prasia. If his predictions were correct, it would happen sooner than the one in the north, and the existence of the enemy, Flauros, was clear.
He had planned to investigate the demon in Prasia during the winter break, but if he went to Bercefe, that would be impossible.
‘But simply refusing is also a problem…’
Although they had sold the rights of the Golden Bull and were no longer Electors, the prestige and power of the Bercefe family had not completely vanished.
Even if they suffered great damage from the monster army, they would become great once again.
“For now…”
Just then, the next prophecy Pernyan had been waiting for began to surface.
The timing was impeccable, and the headache was as painful as ever.
[“It's absolute chaos.”
Returning to the academy, Aint could clearly feel that his status had changed.
- It's only natural. You are the hero who defeated a demon.
“I didn't do it alone.”
In the conference hall where the demon was summoned, there were numerous mages, royals, and nobles.
And there were powerful individuals, including their personal guards, protecting them.
The demon's goal may have been to wipe them all out and throw the continent into chaos, but conversely, it was no easy task.
- You were the key. That's what's important.
“That's true, but…”
“Aint.”
Just then, a familiar voice called out from the crowd.
A steadfast knight. A reliable figure who had not backed down in the face of a demon, but had instead protected him.
“Senior Ruina.”
“I heard the news. You accomplished something incredible.”
“It was nothing compared to what you did, Senior.”
“What I did?”
“In front of it…”
“Not really. All I could do was hold my ground.”
“You're being too modest.”
Why was she so harsh in her self-assessment?
Aint felt himself falling for Ruina even more.]
It began with Aint's return to the academy.
A history in which Pernyan had not intervened.
Aint, who had defeated the 70th demon, Seere, and become an even greater hero than he was now.
The entire academy was abuzz.
‘His feelings for Ruina haven't changed. I wonder if that's still the case in reality?’
[- Let's go to Pandrein again this winter break. The southernmost tip of Prasia borders the untamed wilds. It's a battleground.
“Sounds good.”
He had caught a demon. Two of them, in fact.
He had gained a fair bit of confidence, but at the same time, he keenly felt it.
The fact that demons and Vile Breeds would eat away at the continent more meticulously, more viciously.
That he had to become even stronger.
‘I finally became the top student, but…’
When he thought about the demons, being the top student felt truly insignificant.]
The prophecy then jumped straight to winter break.
He was relieved that nothing happened in between, but conversely, the thought of Aint getting closer to Flauros was terrifying.
‘Dammit, is it really happening this spring?’
There wasn't much time left.
‘The top student, huh.’
It seemed he had finally defeated Valoci Vienderk.
Then again, it would have been stranger if he couldn't beat the top first-year after catching two demons and absorbing their power.
[“That man is a Vile Breed?”
“Yeah. I have to catch him.”
As the man entered a deserted alley, Aint, who had been secretly following, grabbed the back of his neck and covered his mouth.
“If you scream, I'll cut out your tongue.”
“Mmph…!”
“Why am I doing this? That's what I'd like to ask you. Why did you sell your soul and side with the demons?”
“……!”
- Filthy Vile Breeds, there are so many of them, like parasites.
Having subjugated even the 70th demon, Seere, and absorbed its power, Aint had developed to the point where he no longer needed to make direct contact to peer inside most Vile Breeds.
And upon returning to Prasia after half a year, Aint realized it was a den of evil.]
‘So he was originally able to do it without my help.’
In a roundabout way, this ended up following the prophecy, which was somewhat reassuring.
Even though he had missed one chance to hunt a demon, it meant Aint's level of growth hadn't fallen behind.
‘But Valoci?’
Right, so this is when Valoci officially becomes Aint's companion.
Valoci Vienderk, Aria Friedien, Barus Dne, and Ruina Bercefe.
They were Aint's official companions in the Prophecy Book, so it wasn't particularly strange.
‘But only after losing his top spot…’
‘Is it like that cliché line from a play, “You're the first one to ever beat me”?’
He was curious, but the Prophecy Book didn't go into that much detail.
[“…It's like pulling up vines; they just keep coming. Just how far have they infiltrated Prasia?”
“It must have been easy for them to take root. It's not the Empire, and the Prasia Kingdom is on the periphery, after all.”
The center of humanity was still the Lutar Continent.
Things had improved since Fallenberg and the Empire established themselves in northern Pandrein, but the kingdoms of Pandrein outside of Imperial territory were still considered the frontier.
“I can't just leave while the Vile Breeds are openly plotting something.”
“Are you trying to repeat what happened in Taklakan? How about asking for help?”
“Help?”
“No kingdom would stand idly by when the hero who caught a demon speaks of a demonic beast threat.”
“But the Vile Breeds have infiltrated kingdoms everywhere. Can we trust them?”
“Then how about asking Barus for help and mobilizing the mercenaries?”]
[“Subjugate the demonic beasts!”
“Kill them all! Aint Armian is with us!”
Sacred Light illuminated the battlefield, which was thick with demonic energy.]
As the last page ended, Pernyan opened his eyes.
“Pernyan? What's wrong all of a sudden?”
“I was just thinking. About whether or not to accept the Margrave's proposal.”
And he came to a decision.
“I'll go.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
At the end of the prophecy, Aint had ultimately secured the help of Prasia and the mercenaries and successfully subjugated the demonic beasts.
That was enough.
‘I can't always stick by Aint's side. And this is something Aint was supposed to handle in the first place.’
The one who eventually becomes a hero.
Until now, he had been anxious that the future might be twisted because of the history he had changed, but now Aint had grown quite a bit.
There was no way, and no need, to keep coddling him like a greenhouse flower.
It was also better for the continent to handle both problems rather than getting tied down to Aint and dealing with just one.
‘Still, the changed future is uncertain, so I should prepare for the worst.’
A preparation that was neither too big nor too small. For instance, companions.
‘Would Verian Calburden and Aria Friedien be enough?’
Valoci was already with him, so that wouldn't be a problem.
The Aint who caught a demon was gone, but the hero Aint, who uncovers and punishes Vile Breeds, remained.
‘Most importantly, Flauros isn't being summoned right away.’
Flauros was to be summoned in the spring, and the break was in winter. At the very least, a demon wouldn't be summoned during this incident.
‘I should contact the Mercenary King soon.’
Of course, with the future already derailed, he couldn't be certain of anything.
So he planned to do everything he could.
“Don't you need to return to Fallenberg? You don't have to push yourself.”
“No, it's fine. If I refuse, it'll put you in a difficult position, won't it? And even if that weren't the case, I've wanted to visit Bercefe myself.”
“…Is that so?”
At Pernyan's words, Ruina's eyes widened slightly before she nodded.
And so, his plans for winter break were decided.
After seeing Ruina off, Pernyan enjoyed a cup of coffee. Then, he happened to spot a familiar figure outside the window.
A man stopping by a shop to drop off his worn-out equipment.
‘…Right.’
A student with unremarkable dark brown hair and eyes.
‘There was you.’
The thorn stuck in Pernyan's mind.
‘Gismond Erdt…’
It was time to decide what to do with him.