Chapter 40
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: An Unreasonable Demand
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Junk thrown about haphazardly and shattered mirror fragments littered the floor, but his anger still hadn't subsided.
“Damn it all, why every single time…!”
Pernyan ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Again. Once again, the prophecy involved him, Pernyan. And in a very bad way.
“So this is how I get entangled in all this and become Aint's enemy.”
There was no reason for him to become Aint’s enemy simply for demanding Ruina pay her rightful debt.
It meant there wasn't enough justification for a future that led to his downfall.
Pernyan knew his father well. He would never be cast out of the family for such a trivial matter.
But now, he finally understood.
‘At first, I thought the incident at the Yacht Club was just a coincidence.’
But when a coincidence happens twice, it's fate.
This was clearly a trap.
One aimed at Pernyan, at the Fallenbergs.
Being linked to demons would put the family in jeopardy unless they disowned their son.
Even for an Elector family, it was a very real possibility, as demons were an enemy the Empire could never coexist with.
The blind spot was that it was all a misunderstanding.
Looking at his reflection in the half-shattered full-length mirror, Pernyan let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“What a pathetic sight, Pernyan Fallenberg.”
To think that I, who acted as if I could control the world with money, would be used by demons without even realizing it, only to face ruin.
He had to laugh. How could he not?
He felt so pathetic, and his fury toward the demons boiled over, becoming unbearable.
“…Alright, let's see about that.”
Let's see who wins—you bastards, or me.
Gritting his teeth, a drop of blood trickled from his bitten lip.
* * *
Summoning a demon was no easy task.
Breaking through the dimensional barrier required an immense amount of energy.
Even more so for a powerful being.
Needless to say, this was especially true when summoning one of the 72 demons.
Pernyan had originally thought they would infect students and use their life force and mana.
But that wasn't it.
“The Branch of the World Tree. That was it.”
Using the Branch of the World Tree to summon a demon. It was a truly demonic idea.
“I have to stop it.”
Normally, he would have no reason to try so desperately to stop a demon summoning.
A demon's advent was certainly a major event, and it wasn't something he could easily prevent even if he tried.
And even if it was summoned, it would be fine.
Aint Armian would subjugate it, so from Pernyan's perspective, the best course of action was to gain what he could and minimize the damage.
That's what he had thought.
But if he himself was involved, the story changed completely. The entire premise was flawed.
“But how?”
This was different from the futures he'd seen before.
The Prophecy Book was mostly written from Aint Armian's point of view, so naturally, many futures unknown to him went unmentioned.
This case was no different. He knew the World Tree would be corrupted, but he didn't know the exact how, what, or why.
‘So I have to prepare for everything.’
He couldn't unilaterally break a contract made with another Elector family.
He immediately summoned Hyde.
“You called... What happened to your room…?”
“Never mind that. The Friedien Marquisate has requested a transport job from the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild.”
“What are we transporting?”
“Mana stones, spirit stones, leaves of the World Tree….”
Hyde was surprised as Pernyan listed dozens of items.
“That's quite a list.”
“But all of that is a decoy. The real cargo is the Branch of the World Tree.”
“…A branch? Do you mean *the* branch?”
“Yes. Father accepted the job. And as part of their terms, they requested that I either take charge or join the party.”
“They specifically requested you?”
Hyde raised the exact same question Pernyan had pondered yesterday.
Pernyan briefly explained the conversation he'd had with Aria.
“This job is incredibly important. There can be no mistakes, no problems whatsoever.”
“Indeed, the Branch of the World Tree is….”
“No, that's not what I mean.”
A demon is involved. This was the crucial part that would trigger his downfall.
But that was something Pernyan only knew because of the Prophecy Book. He couldn't say it outright.
“Then what do you mean?”
“No, you're right. So we must prepare. The transport team departs in two weeks. I'm to join them with Aria via a teleportation circle.”
“We have some time, then.”
His father was already handling all the preparations for the transport team, so there wasn't much for Pernyan to do.
“So, you can just join them without much preparation….”
“No.”
If it weren't related to demons.
“Preparations must be as thorough as possible. Treat it as if we're going to war. Gather all supplies and materials, and tell Father we're increasing the size of the escort.”
“Do we really need to go that far? The Branch of the World Tree is precious, of course, but no one would be bold enough to provoke two Elector families at once. Besides, isn't its very existence being kept secret as a precaution?”
“Listen carefully, Hyde. Accidents happen when you let your guard down.”
If it weren't the very thing that would lead to his downfall.
That would be true.
“That's why you can never be too prepared.”
Seeing Pernyan's determined expression, Hyde said nothing more and closed his mouth.
“Understood.”
“First, take this to the department office. The Friediens have probably already spoken to them.”
“Yes.”
It was a field training application. After handing it over, Pernyan put on his overcoat.
“Where are you going?”
“To see Aria Friedien.”
“Didn't you just see her yesterday?”
“I did.”
But when circumstances change, so must the plan.
The Pernyan of yesterday.
And the Pernyan of today.
Were clearly different.
* * *
“…What?”
Aria's large eyes widened as she blinked.
He'd heard that innocent expression was quite popular among the first-years.
“Are you deaf for an elf?”
“No. I heard you perfectly. You're saying we should move up the schedule, right?”
“Yes.”
Transporting the Branch of the World Tree isn't something prepared in a day or two. The plan was likely set in motion a long time ago.
Naturally, the Vile Breed would have heard of it, which is how they managed to tamper with the branch and cause trouble.
“The scheduled departure is in two weeks, but the preparations should be nearly complete by now, right?”
“That's true, but it's not just about preparations. There are a great many things to coordinate. Is there a reason to change it so suddenly?”
That was why. He wanted to shorten the timeline by a few days if possible, or at least by one.
Because a great dam begins to crumble from a tiny crack.
The same would be true for the Vile Breed's plan.
“This is one of my demands. If you can't meet it, I won't participate.”
“His Excellency, Duke Fallenberg, has already accepted the request.”
“And I'm just an addendum, am I not?”
“…Hmm, in that case, by how much?”
Aria asked after a moment of thought.
“Ten days, if possible. A week at the very least.”
He wanted to leave right this instant, but he had his own preparations to make.
“That's too soon. If we disrupt the entire schedule like that, there will be countless things to deal with.”
“I will deal with all of them.”
“This isn't something I can decide on my own.”
“Then go and tell the Marquis.”
Pernyan enunciated each and every word.
“Tell him that a man named Pernyan demanded the schedule be moved up.”
And if not.
“Tell him I wouldn't accept even if I died and came back to life.”
He knew it was an outrageous demand, and that the chances of it being accepted were remarkably low. Still, he had no choice.
It was one or the other.
Either he would get an earful from the enraged Marquis Friedien and back out, then help Aint stop the summoned demon after the vacation ended.
Or he would change the plan entirely.
There were no other options.
* * *
The academy's downtown area doesn't get very dark, even after sunset.
This was because students, finished with their classes, often gathered with friends to share a drink.
The areas dense with pubs bustled with loud voices, and the magic lamps installed everywhere brightly illuminated them.
But not every place was like that.
A place that sold something entirely unsuited for nighttime food or entertainment—a bookstore—had its doors firmly shut.
The bookstore owner drew the curtains, covering all the windows, and began organizing the books.
A shadow abruptly rose behind him.
“Your Excellency, the cause of the failure was Pernyan Fallenberg.”
“Details.”
“We succeeded in sinking the ship and pushing Aint to another location, but he wasn't alone.”
The report was simple.
Pernyan Fallenberg, Ruina Bercefe, and Bella Hohen.
All three students were washed ashore on that island and helped Aint when he was under attack.
“……”
The bookstore owner continued to organize his books in silence.
He had no such ability to control the waves. It was, quite literally, a matter of bad luck.
“Was it really just luck?”
But why did it feel so unsettling?
“We tried to finish him with two Sea Serpents, but the island held a hidden provision from the cursed scion. The awakened Aint Armian….”
If not for the cursed scion's provision, would Aint have died?
Probably not.
“Ruina Bercefe's abilities are more impressive than anticipated.”
“Yes. She has shown sudden and remarkable improvement since pairing up with Pernyan Fallenberg.”
To say that the one who had always held the second-rank position was now showing remarkable improvement was a contradiction.
But it was undeniable that her achievements had risen to a new level.
“Fallenberg….”
A family once so mad for money they even dealt with demons.
But after being swayed by the first emperor's sweet talk, they became an enemy of demonkind.
Just as they had supported the first emperor with their vast fortune, they needed to be dealt with first to prevent the same mistake from happening again.
That was why we used the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild.
But as fate would have it, Pernyan Fallenberg washed ashore on that island with him, and we achieved nothing.
On the contrary.
“Having witnessed demonic energy together, they must have formed some sort of common ground.”
We ended up pushing them together. The deadliest sword against demons, and the gold to plate it.
“What of the captured pawn?”
“He will die soon.”
He was just a chess piece who knew nothing of importance, so that was sufficient.
“For now, separating those two is the priority. What's the status on the escort mission?”
Fortunately, the next step in the plan was designed to prepare for the summoning while simultaneously turning the Fallenbergs and Armians against each other.
“Aria Friedien and Pernyan Fallenberg have made contact. We don't yet know if he has accepted.”
“Do whatever it takes to ensure Pernyan Fallenberg joins them.”
“Yes.”
“And remember, our existence must not be revealed.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
At a nod from the bookstore owner, the shadow vanished.
He clicked his tongue as he resumed organizing the books.
“How tedious….”
He lightly snapped his fingers.
*Snap—*
The messily stacked books flew out of the storage area on their own and slotted themselves into their proper places on the shelves.
*Snap—*
The bookstore owner snapped his fingers once more.
Another shadow rose. Its form was slightly different from the last.
“You called?”
“Yes.”
He rubbed his thumb with his index finger as he asked.
“How goes the search for the provisions hidden by the cursed scion?”
