Chapter 141
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: The Demon's Eye
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Despite the promised time arriving, Prasia was exceedingly peaceful.
There was no talk of demonic beasts, let alone Vile Breeds.
“Are you sure you saw it correctly?”
“Are you saying I was wrong?”
“No, but couldn’t you have dozed off while reading the Prophecy Book?”
“If you experienced that headache, you would never say such a thing.”
After a few days passed like that, Pernyan had no choice but to admit it.
Unlike the gradual changes before, a major branch of the future had been completely twisted.
“What could have been the problem?”
Pernyan began to retrace recent events, one by one.
Aint clearing out the Vile Breeds in Prasia was part of the original history.
That probably wasn't the issue.
Then, the next thing.
“It must be the matter with Kimaris…”
Kimaris and its demonic beast army, who had tried to destroy the Bercefes—or more accurately, tried to find their stolen egg.
They weren't supposed to have come south at this time.
I don't know when, but it hadn't even been mentioned in the Prophecy Book yet.
The future had changed because Pernyan brought back Decarabia's egg.
“So, this means the Prophecy Book can't be trusted anymore…”
It was a great shame, but it was also an inevitability that would have come someday.
It would be stranger if the future remained the same after changing it again and again.
“Take this, Hyde.”
“What is this?”
“A notice that their efforts were in vain.”
Hyde, realizing who it was for, asked again.
“Do I really have to go?”
“He's someone who deserves at least that much courtesy.”
“Is my life not precious to you?”
“Don't worry. It won't be as much as the money for fighting a demon, but I'll at least cover the cost of travel to Peius Fortress.”
“He wouldn't have been able to take other requests during that time. Do you think he'll be satisfied with just that?”
“That's why I have to be generous.”
It was a shame, but it was better than losing the trust of someone like the Mercenary King. It was buying trust with money.
“Understood. But, I've been curious for a while. What on earth is that bird? It's not what I think it is, is it?”
Hyde pointed to the Saint Bird waddling after Wooden in a corner of the office.
“That's Silver.”
“You even gave it a name?”
“I couldn't just call it 'Saint Bird' without a name. Doesn't it look like it'll bring me a mountain of silver coins?”
“You really just threw that name together. But is it really a Saint Bird? Where on earth did you get it?”
Hyde was astonished at the appearance of the mythical, legendary creature.
“I got it from Aint.”
After hearing the whole story, Hyde let out an involuntary laugh.
“Aint Armian must be quite jealous.”
“Considering how much I've given that guy, I deserve at least this much.”
“Now that you put it that way, I suppose so.”
“Just go and come back.”
“Then Wooden won't be by your side either. If I'm gone…”
That was true. The reason Hyde wasn't obsessed with being an escort was Wooden. If Wooden was also gone, Pernyan would be defenseless.
“It doesn't matter. It might be different if I went somewhere else, but there shouldn't be any problems within the academy, at least.”
“Still, I'm a bit worried. You have a knack for attracting incidents and accidents…”
“Anyone hearing you would think I do nothing but cause trouble.”
Pernyan scoffed.
“Weren't there Vile Breeds in the research building in the first place?”
“It's an order.”
“…I'll be back as quickly as possible.”
In the end, Hyde sighed and disappeared.
***
As the peaceful academy life continued, two changes occurred in Pernyan's daily routine.
“Sunbaenim.”
One was Aint Armian visiting every single day.
As if he couldn't get over the Saint Bird he had entrusted to Pernyan—nominally, at least—he came to see it without fail every day.
‘Don't tell me it's going to be influenced by Armian's power and change its master.’
It seemed like he was trying to imprint on it, but Pernyan had no grounds to refuse him for now, so he couldn't tell him not to come.
He would have felt the same way if he were in Aint's shoes.
He could only be grateful that the baby bird still looked at him as if seeing a parent, unchanging.
“So, even you can be wrong sometimes, Sunbaenim.”
“Even I can't know everything. It seems the incident with the Bercefes forced them to lay low for a while.”
“Or maybe it's because I and the others went a little too wild in Prasia.”
“That could be it.”
Still, it wasn't all bad.
“Honestly, I never thought you'd say something like that, Sunbaenim.”
“I simply made a very realistic choice. In a world where demons are beginning to run rampant, I chose the more brilliant one between Armian and Schwaben. Nine out of ten people would probably make the same choice I did.”
“I doubt it. The Armians have nothing. And more importantly, the Schwabens might…”
Because he could have more conversations with Aint, who visited every day.
“You think they might have the Armian's secret sword arts?”
“You knew?”
“It's obvious. They're not fools. Unless they had a solid countermeasure, they wouldn't kill such an essential talent.”
“And you still choose Armian?”
“That's why I choose Armian. Thieves who stole and learned it could never have mastered it properly.”
Thanks to this, Pernyan was able to build a deeper bond with Aint.
Both from the perspective of confronting demons together, and from the perspective of supporting and helping the Armian imperial family.
All in all, it was a beneficial time.
“Sunbaenim!”
The other change was also a visitor, but unlike with Aint, it was not such a beneficial time.
The top student of the first-year Magic Department, Abel Kalens, who would approach him with a book in one hand whenever they happened to cross paths.
They didn't run into each other that often, but those rare interactions were quite annoying.
Forming connections with talented individuals was something Pernyan enjoyed, but after getting burned by Aaron, he was wary of anyone whose background wasn't certain.
And the report from the Golden Pillar hadn't come in yet.
“What is it?”
“I just happened to run into you, so I was saying hello.”
Moreover, Abel Kalens would literally just acknowledge him in passing, so it was hard to say anything about it.
It was just that the frequency was a little high.
Then one day, that same Abel Kalens brought up an unexpected story.
“Ah, Sunbaenim. I found something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“I'm not sure if I should tell you this…”
“If you don't want to, then don't.”
“Wait, I'll tell you.”
The topic he cautiously brought up wasn't all that remarkable.
Late one night, unable to sleep, he was strolling through town and happened to see the bookstore owner pulling a cart into the forest.
“The forest?”
“Yes. The Southern Forest.”
“Did you follow him?”
“Something felt off, so I followed. But in a secluded part of the forest, he started digging and buried what was in the cart.”
“What was in the cart?”
“It looked like some kind of box, but I'm not sure. The shop owner's senses were sharper than I thought, and I was almost caught.”
Abel explained that he had fled immediately.
“How did you get into the forest? There should have been guards.”
If he had run into them, he obviously wouldn't have gotten in. Even if he hadn't, the guards would have come, having detected the unauthorized entry via the magic circle.
“I did run into one. But after we made eye contact, he just blankly walked off somewhere else.”
“…He blankly walked off somewhere else?”
He recalled the incident where Aria and Verian, under the influence of mental magic, had forgotten that the Branch of the World Tree was being corrupted.
“Where is it?”
“If you wish, I can guide you.”
“Wait. There's someone I need to bring along.”
After a moment of thought, Pernyan brought Aint with him.
“Let's go.”
“What's going on all of a sudden? And who's this?”
“It's an honor to meet you, Aint-sunbaenim. My name is Abel Kalens.”
The three of them arrived at the Southern Forest together. Thanks to the measures Pernyan had taken in advance, no guards came looking for them.
“It's here.”
“Aint, do you feel anything?”
“Not really, yet…”
Pernyan began to dig with magic. After digging down about ten meters, he felt something strange.
“This is…”
A feeling of mana deficiency. Pernyan recalled the incident at the Bercefes'.
The underground space where he had found Decarabia's egg. Of course, it was incomparably weaker than then, but the feeling was the same.
“Aint, the earth is corrupted.”
“Really?”
Just as Pernyan said, the exposed earth was stained black.
A faint demonic energy could be felt. And at its center was a small box.
*Click.* He carefully opened the box, which exuded an ominous aura.
Inside the box, an unidentifiable piece of black flesh was squirming.
“…What is this?”
“Such foul demonic energy…!”
“An eye…?”
No, it wasn't a piece of flesh. What moved was a pupil, and a distinct gaze could be felt.
The moment their eyes met, Pernyan felt his mind being invaded, his mana churning.
“Aint! Get rid of it now!”
“Yes!”
Aint drew his sword. Sacred Light pushed back the demonic energy, making its presence known.
And then.
───!
The light cleaved through the darkness.
The eye resisted fiercely, but it could not stop the retribution.
The bisected fragments thrashed as if screaming, then went limp. They soon turned to dust and scattered.
…It turned to dust?
As far as Pernyan knew, only demons left no corpse behind.
‘Then could this be…?’
A demon's eye?
If so, he could understand how a single eye could exude such foul demonic energy.
The problem was how a mere bookstore owner had gotten this, and for what purpose he had buried it here.
The answer was simple.
Because he was a Vile Breed.
“A bookstore last time, and a bookstore this time too.”
I heard it was changed to a completely different business. Is there some demon who loves books?
“Aint, what do you think this is?”
“…Hmm, I'm not sure. It looked like a piece of flesh, but if a mere piece of flesh can contain such foul demonic energy, couldn't it be from a demon?”
“My thoughts exactly. I've fought quite a few demonic beasts, but only demons leave no corpse behind.”
“Then you're saying this is a demon's flesh? Good heavens…!”
At the sound of Abel's short scream, Pernyan stopped the conversation.
“Yes. Disaster nearly struck the academy again. Thank you. It's thanks to you.”
“Not at all. I only did what was natural. Though I never imagined it was actually from a demon.”
“In that sense, then. I'd like to check your insides myself.”
“…Pardon?”
Abel was flustered by the sudden remark.
“Isn't it strange?”
*Rumble.* The earth rose. A wall of rock blocked Abel Kalens's escape route.
“That a guy who's been hovering around me ever since enrolling would, as if waiting for the chance, bring me something related to the Vile Breeds.”
“That's because my family isn't very well-off, so I was trying to get close to you, Sunbaenim…”
“Of course, that's a possibility.”
He naturally hadn't forgotten that possibility.
Which makes the solution even simpler.
“Let Aint check your insides. If it turns out you're not a Vile Breed, I will formally apologize to you.”
For reference, a Fallenberg apology is not just words; it is followed by a monetary apology.
Pernyan added the unnecessary remark.
“…Even so, you're going to search someone else's mana heart? Even for you, Sunbaenim, isn't that crossing the line by a long shot!”
“Then let me ask you one thing.”
The corner of Pernyan's mouth twisted.
“Why did you come to me?”
“Well…”
“If a problem arises, it's normal to go to the administration office or find a professor. But you came to me.”
“That's because you've had such a distinguished record against the Vile Breeds…”
“If that were the case, you should have gone to Aint. Not me.”
Pernyan had been involved in almost every matter related to the Vile Breeds, but his involvement was rarely public.
Most of it was handled by Aint or the Royal Knights.
For a regular student, it wouldn't be easy to see through to the fact that Pernyan was the key figure.
“And above all…”
No, there's no need to say this.
Pernyan swallowed the words that he was suspicious because Timon Baertz, who was supposed to be a Vile Breed, wasn't, and Abel Kalens, who shouldn't have been the top student, was.
“…I helped you find the demon's flesh. And you're saying I'm a Vile Breed?”
“I hope not, too. That's why I want to check. Surely you know that the longer your excuses get, the more suspicious you seem.”
At that moment.
“You've got a point there.”
Abel's atmosphere changed.
“But I still can't accept it. If that damn energy gets inside me, my insides will be a mess.”
*Phuhu,* he laughed. It was a laugh far from joy or happiness.
“I offered you the demon's flesh as a tribute. You should have trusted me, why are you so suspicious!”
Rage.
A scorching heat erupted.