Chapter 133
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: New Threats for a New Semester
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Starting with Andromalius, the 72nd demon, then Seere, the 70th, followed by Decarabia, the 69th, and Kimaris, the 66th.
Although Pernyan had thwarted the descents of Seere and Decarabia, the fact that they had come so close could not be denied.
In less than two years since he had obtained the Prophecy Book, a staggering four demons had either descended or attempted to.
The war against the demons was no longer a distant future or a baseless delusion.
That was why Pernyan placed such high value on Aint.
‘The Aint of today is strong.’
If Ruina was the material for the next generation of Royal Knights, then in his eyes, Aint was destined to become the youngest Royal Knight in history.
And with the help of Sir Gardner, the first Royal Knight, and the power of the Armian family…
‘If he continues on this path, it’s only natural that the Armian family will reclaim the throne.’
As long as Aint harbored any ambition for the throne, it was a fight that the Schwabens simply couldn't win.
That was why he had advised Aint about the mercenaries.
For Aint, who lacked a strong family faction, there was no better force to have at his back than mercenaries.
‘The fact that Barus is Aint’s companion will also be a major advantage.’
Although the Prophecy Book hadn't mentioned it yet, he suspected the future Aint had likely built his forces in a similar manner.
‘In that sense, that bastard would have been quite useful. A shame.’
Pernyan’s gaze fell on Roderick Fisher, who was commanding the mercenaries alongside Aint.
“Demonic beasts! Break through!”
“Waaaaaah!”
Roderick, who charged forward after slaying a demonic beast in a single blow, was considered one of the top mercenaries in the business.
‘He supposedly admires the Mercenary King, doesn't he?’
It was said he named his mercenary group the ‘Blue Wolves,’ similar to the Mercenary King’s ‘Red Wolves.’
But then, what mercenary didn't admire the Mercenary King?
‘It makes no sense for a Vile Breed to admire a human who killed a demon…’
It was a coincidence. Among the men surrounding the safe house from all sides, the one leading the charge inside had caught his eye.
In one way, it was an understandable sight, but in another, it was perplexing.
A mercenary, who valued money and his own life above all else, taking the lead?
Of course, it could have been to curry favor with Pernyan and Aint, or perhaps he was simply confident in his skills.
Pernyan had initially thought so himself. He had only attached Wooden to him as a precaution, never imagining he'd reel in such a prize.
‘According to the background checks, all three were clean.’
He had used the Golden Pillar to investigate the backgrounds of all three mercenary captains, and nothing suspicious had turned up.
All three were mercenaries loyal to coin, men who could be trusted and employed as long as they were paid reasonably well.
Which meant, had he not witnessed the vile deeds of that Vile Breed, Roderick Fisher, he would have been completely fooled.
-Kkung?
“Yes, you did well. It’s all thanks to you.”
Pernyan stroked Wooden’s head. Hyde asked.
“Do you plan to keep him under observation?”
“Yes. My gut tells me he’s a high-ranking Vile Breed. I’ll keep him close, pretending to know nothing, and figure out a better way to handle him.”
A corner of Pernyan’s mouth twisted.
Those who dared take his money only to stab him in the back would never die a peaceful death.
Especially not if they were a Vile Breed.
Besides, he was too valuable to just kill. He had already gleaned a great deal of information from the short conversation between the Vile Breed and Roderick Fisher.
‘The fact that they’ve begun to see me as dangerous as Aint, and that there's a hierarchy among the Vile Breeds.’
And finally, that not all demons seemed to get along.
‘A Vile Breed cursed a demon.’
It was clear that, as a follower of a different demon, he held no reverence for Kimaris.
‘Come to think of it, when I obtained the First Emperor’s providence, there was a painting of demons…’
And in that painting, the demons were depicted as if facing off against one another.
This required more thought. More information was needed.
“As for Aint…”
“I won’t tell him. Every thought he has shows on his face.”
“That is true. But I am surprised. It means there was a Vile Breed that Aint ultimately couldn't detect on his own…”
“I had my suspicions, so it’s not that surprising. In fact, I’m grateful to have my certainty now.”
In any case, what remained was to see how well Aint would perform.
He had already instructed Aint to win over the mercenaries, and he could see Aint was working hard at it.
Perhaps as a result, many of the mercenaries already seemed half-won over.
“Even without that, it's obvious that bastard Roderick will be wagging his tail for Aint.”
Having finished his thoughts on Roderick, Pernyan inquired about something else.
“Hyde, has anything else turned up?”
“We’ve begun tracking them using clues found in the safe houses, but nothing more has come up.”
They had discovered several additional safe houses, but that was all. There were no clues related to the demons or any links to the nobles of Prasia.
‘Just because the Vile Breeds are being overly active doesn't guarantee the nobility is involved…’
Whether they were well-hidden or simply not involved, he couldn't be sure, but something still felt off.
This was especially true now that the Vile Breed, Roderick, was serving up other Vile Breeds on a platter.
“What about the Blacksteel mine?”
“As you said, Gongjanim, the mine was discovered and is now under development. Thanks to the troops provided by His Grace the Duke, it is proceeding with no significant losses.”
“Smoothly, then. No, wait.”
Perhaps because he had just caught Kimaris, Pernyan realized he was filled with a strange sense of confidence.
Confidence after winning just one battle against a demon? How foolish.
“One must be most wary when things are going smoothly and re-examine everything.”
“Of course.”
“I just wish we could find a trace of that damn Flauros…”
The future was already twisting and turning. By crushing Seere’s seed and Decarabia’s egg, he had twice set a precedent for stopping a demon before it could be summoned.
There was no rule saying that what happened twice couldn't happen a third time.
“It’s over! There are no more demonic beasts in the safe house. The Vile Breeds all committed suicide. Truly vicious bastards.”
But what he hoped for did not appear.
Not until the end of the winter break.
***
When winter break ended and the new semester began, a fresh breeze blew through the academy.
Old faces departed, and new ones arrived.
The fourth-years’ graduation, and the first-years’ entrance ceremony.
【Daily Academy 2/13】
【Freshman Special - The New Students Who Stood Out in the Entrance Exam.
- Top of the Knight Department and Monster Slayer, Alkmion Altriark.
- Sword Prodigy, Timon Baertz.
- The Monster of the Pakar Marquisate, Yusta Pakar.
- A Genius Appearing Like a Comet, Top of the Magic Department, Abel Kalens.
- The Dragon of the Lavre Barony, Jeff Lavre.】
“This year’s class seems to have many talented individuals as well.”
Last year saw the enrollment of the Cult's Saint, the daughter of a new Elector family, the heir to the Vienderks, and a descendant of the old imperial family.
Compared to that, this year’s roster was a bit less dazzling, but last year had been exceptional; it wasn't that this year was lacking.
“Still, this is unexpected. I was sure Jeff Lavre would be at the top of the Magic Department…”
Baron Lavre’s family was a vassal of the Schwabens.
Jeff Lavre was a genius whose talent had been known since childhood, and he had received the full backing of the Schwaben family.
Everyone had expected him to be the top student this semester, but surprisingly, a complete unknown had taken the spot.
“Anything on him?”
“A commoner from Alprosen. Though he’s a commoner, his father is a landowner with some property, so he has a fair bit of money. He apparently used it to hire a tutor to learn magic. It is said his teacher praised him profusely as a genius.”
“Then his name should have been known, shouldn’t it?”
“It was known, but it seems to have been limited to Alprosen. He reportedly started making a name for himself about five years ago.”
It wasn't that the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild hadn't expanded into the Alprosen Kingdom.
However, Pernyan and the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild were still separate entities.
At least, until Pernyan became the head of the family.
Moreover, five years ago was when Pernyan was busy creating and focusing on the Golden Pillar.
“Look into it further for now. If he’s a commoner, he must have a sponsor.”
“Yes.”
In any case, Pernyan was now a third-year. His eventful second year was finally over.
“Is this the one?”
Hyde abruptly reached out and pointed to a name in the newspaper.
‘Sword Prodigy, Timon Baertz.’
He wasn't a commoner like Abel Kalens, nor was he someone Pernyan didn't know.
No, in fact, he knew him better than anyone.
“Yes.”
“So this is the Vile Breed? I’d heard rumors for a while that the second son of Viscount Baertz was exceptionally skilled, but I don’t know when he could have become a Vile Breed.”
“That’s what we need to find out. But this is strange. If my memory serves me right, he should be the top student, not second.”
Just before the end of winter break, a new wave of prophecies had washed over Pernyan.
This time, there were three major prophecies.
[-The demon was summoned at the Continental Academic Conference from Rosalia Vienderk’s research.
-And Pernyan Fallenberg has been a long-time sponsor of Vienderk’s research. Could this really be a coincidence?
“There’s a high probability that Pernyan Fallenberg is a Vile Breed, then?”
While tracking down the culprits who ruined the Continental Academic Conference, Aint discovered a crucial clue.
“This is…”
-It’s definitely that bastard Pernyan.
It was a secret letter exchanged between Pernyan and the Vile Breeds.]
First, due to fabricated evidence and orchestrated events by the Vile Breeds, Pernyan himself would be branded a Vile Breed.
[“We meet again, Sunbaenim.”
Aint casually dropped a single sheet of paper.
“It’s a letter of excommunication. Issued directly by the head of the Fallenberg family.”
“Why, why would my father do this to me…!”
Pernyan screamed in anguish.
“You crossed the line, far too many times. To become a dog for the demons and aid the Vile Breeds.”
“It’s a frame-up! I’ve never done such a thing!”
“How can you call it a frame-up when the evidence is so clear? Stop before you embarrass yourself further, Sunbaenim.”
Aint’s brown eyes looked down on Pernyan. A cold contempt flashed through them.
-Such a pathetic worm, selling everything to the demons for money.
-As expected, the Fallenberg ilk should never be trusted.
Gardner sneered coldly.]
This would lead to Pernyan Fallenberg’s downfall, the very thing he had fought so desperately to prevent.
‘…’
The first time he saw this prophecy, Pernyan felt his heart drop. He nearly fainted from hyperventilating.
But after the initial shock and fear passed, elation followed.
‘I've finally escaped it! I've passed the point of the prophecy!’
It was the prophecy he had desperately wanted to avoid, but now it was a faded future that would never come to pass.
The fact that the Prophecy Book had foretold it, yet it was now impossible, was tantamount to a guarantee that he had escaped.
The ecstasy and joy of that moment were more intense than any emotion he had ever felt in his life.
That night, Pernyan had the most peaceful and comfortable sleep he’d had in a year.
[Claaaang—
With a powerful tearing sound, a sword flew through the air. The loser fell to his knees while the victor stood firm.
“My goodness…!”
“Altriark… lost…?”
“What is that monster…?”
The students watching the duel were stunned to see the one they had expected to win become the loser.
Alkmion Altriark.
No one had expected him to lose, a man who was said to have trained rigorously in swordsmanship under the Royal Knight, Katrina Altriark.
“The winner! Timon Baertz!”
The referee confirmed the victor. But Timon was looking beyond the immediate victory.]
The second prophecy was the emergence of a new Vile Breed.
[“You must defeat Aint Armian.”
Said a man in a hooded robe.
“Due to continuous failures, Aint Armian’s reputation has grown excessively. We must tarnish it.”
“I know.”
If humanity were to unite, Aint Armian would undoubtedly be at its center.
To minimize the scale of that union and delay its formation as much as possible, it was necessary to shake Aint.
“We have failed many times, but it has not been all failure.”
They had only failed to kill Aint; the same could not be said for others.
At the Continental Academic Conference, they had summoned Seere, killing many high-ranking individuals, which in turn had smeared the Vienderk name and strained their relationships with others.
They had also succeeded in completely ostracizing Pernyan Fallenberg and sowing seeds of doubt about the Fallenberg family.
“Aint Armian is simply an anomaly. For the most part, we have succeeded.”
“I know. Don’t worry.”
Timon Baertz nodded calmly.
“As I am now, defeating Aint is well within my capabilities.”]
And their plan.
A plan to chip away at Aint, starting with small things, and eventually take his head.
It was the second time a prophecy had been shown from the Vile Breeds’ perspective, and both times, the information had been incredibly useful.
Pernyan had tried to find the unknown robed figure, but the scope was too broad, and he had yet to make significant progress.
Thus, he had been waiting for Timon Baertz to enroll. The time to make his move was approaching.
[“But assassinate Aint Armian? Are you serious right now?”
When Aint Armian first enrolled, Ludger Schwaben had seen it as an opportunity.
He had planned to crush the boy and enhance the Schwaben name. And he could have, if not for the appearance of the demons.
“But assassinate Aint Armian? At a time like this?”
Ludger’s eyes widened at the absurd plan.]
And the third and final prophecy.
[“Then what about the demons! What are you going to do about the demons! If we can’t stop them, the continent will be destroyed! Does His Majesty intend to be the last emperor of a ruined continent!”
“The Armian power is indeed the natural enemy of the demons, but we can hunt demons without them.”
And most importantly.
“We have already obtained the Armian family’s secret sword techniques.”
The assassin sent by the emperor stated calmly.]
It was a completely unexpected prophecy.
“…Schwaben has finally drawn its sword.”
Considering how long they had waited, it wasn't particularly surprising. It just felt like the inevitable had finally arrived.
He had thought they would wait a little longer because of the demons, but perhaps they felt this was their only chance.
That made sense, too. If more demons appeared, Aint would become irreplaceable.
‘So they’ve obtained the Armian secret sword techniques.’
He had a rough idea of how they had managed that.
And knowing it was meaningless, Pernyan scoffed.
‘The real secret is Gardner.’
“…In any case, I can’t let them have their way.”
If Schwaben sought to kill an Armian, Fallenberg would protect an Armian.
Fortunately, the Prophecy Book had also detailed the methods Schwaben would use, so he had already begun to prepare.
‘Still, no mention of Flauros. Then again, there was no guarantee it would be this year.’
Whatever the case, gaining even a little breathing room wasn't bad.
Pernyan decided to tackle the most pressing matters first, one by one.
For now, that was Timon Baertz.
His objective was to crush the bastard's plan, track him, and capture any other Vile Breeds remaining at the academy.
Pondering how to welcome him, Pernyan let out an unconscious smirk.
“What is it?”
“Last year, I was wary of Aint Armian after reading this paper. This time, it’s a Vile Breed.”
Pernyan rose from his seat. Hyde immediately fell in step behind him.
“Are you going to see Timon Baertz?”
“No, I’m going to see Aint.”
He didn't even need to put much effort into this himself.
“Aint. Timon Baertz is a suspected Vile Breed. He says he’s going to defeat you to slowly tarnish your reputation.”
Those words were enough.
“…If I get the chance, I’ll have to rough him up a bit.”
“Don’t kill him. We need to get information out of him.”
“Hey, even if he is a Vile Breed, I’m not that inflexible.”
Aint was neither weak nor lacking in competitive spirit.
‘Besides, the Aint of today is far stronger than the one in the prophecy.’
Timon Baertz, you’re a dead man.