Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Variable
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Having secured Aria’s cooperation, Pernyan headed to the academy library.
*King Collomo and the 72 Demons*
He examined the book he had first consulted when he learned of the Prophecy Book and the existence of demons, this time in greater detail.
*The 72nd Demon, Andromalius.*
*Appears as a man with a serpent coiled around one hand.*
*He has black hair and black eyes, with a robust build. He fights using the serpent coiled around his hand.*
However, as the book offered a broad overview of all 72 demons, it lacked specific details.
Pernyan moved on to another book.
*The Relationship Between Demons and Demonic Beasts*
*Demonic beasts are creatures that originally inhabit the demon world. They are the limbs of demons and members of their legions.*
*All demons are legion commanders of the demon world who lead the demonic beasts.*
*The legion of the 72nd Demon, Andromalius, is primarily composed of serpent-form demonic beasts.*
Still, it didn’t provide the level of detail Pernyan was looking for.
‘Just how much information has been lost?’
It was understandable. A thousand years was a long time, and with no demonic appearances, they were naturally forgotten.
Even so, considering they were the Empire’s greatest adversaries, the lack of information was excessive.
‘Is there anything else….’
As Pernyan scanned the bookshelves, someone caught his eye.
“Aint Armian?”
Sitting at a table with a stack of books was none other than Aint. Pernyan walked over and sat down across from him.
“Pernyan Sunbaenim?”
*The Great War: Driving Out the Demons*
Aint was reading a book detailing the events of the Great War.
“Were you looking for information on demons?”
“Yes. With the… no, with Vile Breeds appearing, I thought it would be best to prepare in advance.”
Advice from Gardner Alpenparsen, perhaps. Not a bad idea, certainly. If only the library had any decent information.
“Are you also researching demons, Sunbaenim?”
“Yes… but…”
…Come to think of it, is there any reason for me to run around doing this all by myself?
Right in front of me is the Prophecy Book’s officially designated hero for fighting archdemons.
We’ve already seen the Vile Breeds together and agreed to cooperate.
This is why habits are so frightening. I was taking the long way around when there was no need to.
“Aint Armian.”
“Yes, Sunbaenim.”
“Is something like this possible? Purifying demonic energy, or perhaps detecting it.”
The Prophecy Book hadn’t gone into detail, but it had hinted that Aint could purify demonic energy.
Even the ancient texts describing the first emperor’s achievements mentioned the purification of demonic energy.
Although he didn't know how effective it would be, Aint probably wasn't completely incapable of it.
“…It’s not entirely impossible.”
“In that case, if a demon were to descend right now, could you win?”
“…What kind of demon?”
“For example, the lowest-ranked, the 72nd demon, Andromalius.”
He seemed to recall reading that the demons’ rankings weren’t a measure of strength or hierarchy, but that wasn’t important right now.
“…Uh, um. I’m not sure?”
—*What is this nonsense all of a sudden?*
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Aint couldn’t answer readily.
Of course, Aint had grown significantly since enrolling in the academy.
He had drawn the first emperor’s sword and, after meeting Gardner, had reclaimed a half-forgotten secret sword art.
He had consumed the Heart of a Saint Bird, a top-tier elixir, and defeated Verian Calburden, rising to a level where he could challenge for the top spot in his year.
However, a demon felt like something on a completely different level.
Even though he had fought Vile Breeds, a demon was another matter entirely.
—*Impossible. As you are now, you could never defeat Andromalius.*
Gardner Alpenparsen’s voice hammered the final nail in the coffin.
“…I don’t think I could.”
“I see.”
Pernyan wasn’t disappointed.
In fact, the original Prophecy Book had said as much. Aint was defeated, and Ruina stepped in to stop Andromalius.
Only after Ruina’s defeat did Aint’s awakening occur. He had barely managed to seize victory through an almost theatrical turn of events.
That was all the more reason why Andromalius’s descent had to proceed as planned.
But before that, he could at least stack the deck in their favor.
“Then let’s set that aside and get back to the main point. I’d like you to use that ability of yours to detect demonic energy…”
At that moment, what he had been waiting for arrived at an unwelcome time.
A terrible headache slammed into Pernyan’s mind.
[“The final exams will now begin!”
The first final exam was *War and Practical Combat Arts*.
The content was simple. The same practical sparring they had done countless times since entering the academy.
There was just one difference: the stage had shifted from the usual training grounds to a field.
“The field is a circular area with a 5km radius. It will be randomly selected from seven types: forest, lake, desert, swamp, mountain, plains, and snowfield.”
And the variety of fields was endless.]
[“Aint defeated Barus!”
“So him beating Verian wasn’t a fluke after all?”
“Verian beat Hein. It’s not like Verian is weak either.”
“He was ranked somewhere in the thirties during the entrance exam, how did he get so strong so fast…?”
Barus Dne was ranked 3rd in the first-year Knight Department, and Hein Caronin was 6th.]
[“Aint Armian is 2nd?”
“Wow, he’s really 2nd. I never thought…”
“Verian Calburden is 3rd.”
“Going from 38th to salutatorian in one semester… Does that even make sense?”
“An Armian is an Armian, I guess…”]
[“Student Aint Armian. Starting next semester, you will move to the La Vie Douce Dormitory.”]
[—The break is a full 70 days. If you have nowhere to go anyway, leave the academy with me.
“So, like a training trip?”
—There are limits to what you can learn at the academy. Getting some hands-on experience as a mercenary will be quite helpful.]
[—…A demonic beast, no, a Vile Breed?
“Thank you for this opportunity, Aint Armian. To think you would leave the cradle of the academy and step into dangerous territory on your own.”
—Run!]
“…Sunbaenim?”
A voice calling his name pulled Pernyan from the future back to the present.
“…Sunbaenim, are you alright?”
With superhuman patience, Pernyan suppressed the urge to grimace.
‘What was I about to say?’
“…I plan to narrow down a list of suspicious individuals, but I have no way of finding them without being detected. That’s why I need your help.”
“If that’s all, I’m available anytime.”
“Thank you. I’ll send someone when the time is right. And read this as well. I’ll be leaving first.”
Pernyan opened *King Collomo and the 72 Demons* to the section on Andromalius, presented it to Aint, and then quickly departed.
“…What was that all about?”
—*He seemed to have received a great shock. Did he see something?*
Pernyan’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, but for a moment, the focus in his pupils had blurred.
—*He was in a cold sweat. In that brief moment, and for no apparent reason.*
“Maybe he has a chronic illness?”
—*Perhaps. In any case, he’s an impressive fellow. To be sweating that much, it must have been quite painful, yet he didn’t even frown.*
—*Honestly, those Fallenberg bastards.*
“Money really is meaningless. I wonder what kind of illness it is…”
Aint clicked his tongue in sympathy.
—*By the way, why Andromalius all of a sudden? Does that nouveau riche bastard know something…?*
* * *
“Utterly disappointing. Failure, then another failure, and another failure again.”
The man turned a page in his book.
“Once can be bad luck. Twice can be bad timing. But three times is incompetence.”
“…I have committed a crime worthy of death, Your Excellency.”
With a thud, the shadow slammed its head against the floor. Its cowering body trembled violently.
“A crime worthy of death…”
The page turned.
“Then you should die. What face do you have to show me?”
“Your Excellency…!”
“But before that…”
Thump. The man closed the book.
“There were no flaws in the plan. What went wrong, and how?”
“We succeeded in making them set up camp at the location of the trap. As planned, we summoned rain to bog them down while simultaneously weakening the ground to cause a collapse.”
“So far, so good.”
And? the man murmured softly.
“And we used the Seids to draw their attention and sent in the Varga.”
That, too, was perfect. Up to that point.
“Their attention was completely fixed on the Varga. According to the plan, they shouldn’t have been able to stop the Varga, and in that opening, we would have contaminated the Branch of the World Tree!”
The contaminated Branch of the World Tree had to be planted in the academy.
The cradle of the Empire, the future of the Empire. Only by bringing it down could they crush the Empire more easily.
“I was the one who devised that plan. Why are you, a failure, spouting excuses?”
“I-I apologize.”
“So what was the problem? When they were desperately fending off the Varga, when they were drawn away from the Branch of the World Tree, your mission was to personally mingle with the Seid pack and corrupt the branch.”
Given Pernyan Fallenberg’s personality, he would have done anything to cover up the failure of the merchant convoy.
No one would have noticed the discreet corruption that had been prepared for so long, and the man himself would have replaced the other goods with new ones to make it seem as if nothing had happened.
Because that would cost less money. Because that was the way to avoid tarnishing the Fallenberg name.
And that would have been the end of it.
The corrupted Branch of the World Tree would have taken root in the academy without any obstacles, biding its time.
In the comfortable cradle that could be called the heart of the Empire.
“…A golem appeared.”
“…What?”
Gulp. The shadow swallowed dryly.
“A single golem drew the Varga’s attention. When we destroyed it, another appeared, and when we destroyed that one, another…”
Four of them.
“Four golems completely tied down the Varga, and Aria Friedien and Pernyan Fallenberg never left the side of the World Tree. So…”
If they were caught tampering with the World Tree, it would mean failure.
Even a Fallenberg wasn’t foolish enough to bring a World Tree that a Vile Breed had tampered with into the academy.
“…He was carrying four golems?”
How was that even possible?
The man’s face twisted faintly.
“…Is there any chance he knew of our plan beforehand?”
“That’s impossible. If he had, he wouldn’t have fallen for it in the first place.”
“Indeed. Pernyan Fallenberg would have protected his assets from being destroyed if he had known.”
Ha. The man let out a hollow laugh.
“So you’re saying he normally carries around four golems—no, an unknown number of golems?”
Hahahaha. The man’s laughter grew louder.
“I understand. I see now why you failed. It makes sense…! That cowardly nouveau riche bastard ruined everything…!”
Hahahahahaha…!
“Th-Thank you for your understand—”
At that moment, the laughter stopped abruptly.
Splat—!
The shadow’s head exploded.
Black chunks scattered in every direction.
“But that doesn’t mean you get to live. Three times is enough.”
Snap—
The man flicked his fingers lightly.
All the black masses splattered across the bookstore vanished.
“From now on, monitor Pernyan Fallenberg along with Aint Armian. All future plans will account for Pernyan Fallenberg and the Fallenberg family. Do not make the same mistake.”
“Yes.”
Another shadow bowed its head.
“And I have something to report, Your Excellency.”
“What is it?”
“We have found one of the provisions he left for his descendant.”
A glimmer of interest appeared in the man’s eyes.
“However, it will take some time to acquire. It is protected by a rather formidable defensive magic circle.”
“Set a trap.”
The man answered instantly, without hesitation.
“So that when Aint Armian comes to claim it, we can finish him in one fell swoop. If we can kill Aint Armian, it will be a net gain even if our existence is revealed.”
“Yes.”
“If he doesn’t come, that’s fine too. We will break the magic circle and take it for ourselves.”
The break would begin as soon as the final exams were over. There was more than enough time to leisurely seize the provision.
“As you command. What shall be done about the World Tree?”
“For now, postpone the plan and observe. Making a move at this point would be tantamount to revealing our tail.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
The shadow vanished.