Chapter 61
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Andromalius
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The Vile Breed’s demonic energy explodes.
The mercenaries are thrown back, and Barus charges through the gap.
‘No…!’
He screams, a desperate cry, but no sound comes out.
—!
With a deafening roar, Barus is sent flying.
Tendrils of demonic energy shoot out, engulfing him where he lies.
In the next instant, his body, frozen until now, lunges forward.
Flash—
A pure white light flickers, slicing through all the demonic energy.
The radiant light, feeding on his fury, surges toward the evil.
“Impossible…! You’re already this strong? I see now… I can’t let you live!”
As the evil roars, light and darkness collide.
At that moment, Aint opened his eyes.
“……”
He had realized it was a dream about halfway through.
A reenactment of a past that would not have happened had he been just a little stronger.
- Your clothes are soaked in sweat. That dream again?
“Yes. I can’t seem to shake it.”
- It’s a pointless fear.
- That filthy Vile Breed ultimately fell to your sword.
- The boy was injured, but he woke up. The healing mage even said he could make a full recovery with proper rehabilitation. There's no need for you to worry any further.
Gardner was right.
Barus had suffered a fatal wound and was in critical condition, but he pulled through.
Not only did the elixir from the Mercenary King completely purge the demonic energy, but it even spurred his growth. It was a blessing in disguise.
And the Vile Breed had fallen by Aint’s hand.
“…But can I really call that a victory?”
But it had not been an easy process.
Enraged by Barus's injury, he had fought desperately to survive, and in his struggle, he had reached a new enlightenment.
He could only say he was lucky.
- It wasn't luck.
- Enlightenment comes only to those who are prepared.
- Well, you should be grateful to that upstart, Pernyan. If it weren't for the Heart of a Saint Bird he gave you, you'd likely be a corpse right now.
Indeed. Aint nodded.
They didn't know that Pernyan's intervention had created a butterfly effect, causing Aint to be more highly regarded, which in turn drew a stronger Vile Breed.
“I know. I know all that, but…”
- Is it the fear that if a mere Vile Breed is this strong, how could you possibly face a real demon?
The words hit their mark, and Aint cautiously nodded.
His Armian bloodline, his swordsmanship of radiant light known as the bane of demons, the pride of being chosen by the first emperor—none of it was any help to him in this moment.
- Yes, you're right. As you are now, you might not be a match for demons. No, you aren't. I can state that with certainty.
“…But you're going to say that the me of now is different from the me of before?”
- …Was that too predictable?
“It's a common line in plays and such. I never thought I'd hear it in real life.”
Still, it's somewhat comforting. Aint let out a small laugh.
“You're right, Gardner.”
When he first enrolled, Aint was ranked 38th. A bit special, but nothing extraordinary within the academy.
That changed.
By meeting Gardner, he defeated Anto, who was ranked 10th.
He grew even stronger by evading the Vile Breeds' ambush and fighting the Sea Serpents.
And now, though his life had been in danger, it was Aint who had survived in the end.
What would the Aint from before the academy have done? He would have died without putting up any real resistance, let alone winning.
Just as Gardner said, Aint was clearly growing. And at a terrifying pace.
“Barus almost died, but he survived, and I defeated the Vile Breed. The Mercenary King now knows of their existence and has sworn to wipe them out, so in a way, it turned out for the best.”
Yes, the situation had improved considerably.
“As long as a demon doesn't suddenly pop out of nowhere, there shouldn't be any problems.”
Aint felt a surge of hope.
- Right. And it's not like demons are bugs you find crawling on the street. They can't just pop up out of the blue.
Knock, knock—
“Lord Aint, Lord Barus has invited you to dinner. Are you available?”
“Of course.”
Having shaken off his distracting thoughts, Aint's face was bright as he left the room.
* * *
“I still can't believe it, even seeing it with my own two eyes. You killed that monster?”
“You didn't see it with your own two eyes, did you?”
“Aha, so you're telling the loser who got knocked out without a proper fight to shut up?”
“Trying to call me trash?”
“That's right.”
Phhh, Barus and Aint burst out laughing at the same time.
“How's the mercenary work? Getting the hang of it?”
“I'm starting to get used to it.”
After Barus woke up, Aint's days became relatively simple.
He undertook various missions with the surviving members of the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group, learning the ways of mercenaries and honing his combat instincts. Between each mission, he spent his time visiting Barus.
“It's an ogre! Spread out and surround it!”
“Don't face it head-on! Wear it down slowly!”
From relatively easy subjugation requests.
“This isn't gnoll territory…”
“Protect the carriage. It can't be damaged. The cargo is worth more than all of you combined!”
To merchant escorts.
“I'd like to reach Alves in three days.”
“To make it in three days, we'll have to pass through Kalkan Canyon.”
“That's why I'm hiring mercenaries. The pay is high because it's dangerous.”
To escorting important figures.
In a little over forty days, Aint had become a seasoned mercenary, perfectly completing seven missions.
“At least from your appearance, anyone would believe you're a mercenary. No one would believe a scion of the Armian family is working as a mercenary in worn-out leather armor.”
“Until recently, I never imagined I'd be doing mercenary work either.”
Even if they had fallen, they were still the imperial family.
They say a rich family can live for three years even after going bankrupt; how much more so for the imperial family that had dominated the empire for nearly nine hundred years?
At the very least, he never would have had to wear smelly leather armor, sleep on the ground, or eat dried-out jerky.
- That's why this mercenary venture is all the more valuable.
- Grumbling about some tough jerky. In my day, I fought demons while chewing on demonic beasts.
Aint didn't bother to reply. Barus checked a calendar and spoke.
“You're leaving tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Now that you mention it, the new semester is just around the corner.”
The long break was now down to just two weeks. Even if he left tomorrow, it would take about a week to reach the academy.
After that, the second semester would finally begin.
“…I was supposed to go back, too.”
“Just get better and come back soon.”
“I've taken a leave of absence for this semester.”
He was recovering quickly, but considering rehabilitation, it would be impossible for him to return to school this year.
There was no way he could keep up with the other students in his condition.
“Well, I can make up for a missed semester by taking summer classes, but I'm a little disappointed I won't be able to participate in the festival.”
The Empire's Founding Day.
The day the first emperor declared the founding of the empire was the greatest holiday, celebrated for a thousand years, with festivals held across the land. Naturally, the academy was no exception.
The Knight Department's Jousting Tournament and the Magic Department's Magic Tournament held special significance.
“It was the perfect chance to knock those knights' jaws off in the jousting tournament and make a name for the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group…!”
Indeed, Barus's skill in mounted combat was beyond imagination. If he participated in the jousting tournament, he would surely achieve significant results.
“I'll do my best in your place.”
“Why you? I mean, after working together as mercenaries for this long, you can be called one of the Ink-Black Spear Mercenaries, but this is my job to do.”
Well, still.
“Don't you dare lose while carrying our mercenary emblem. If you're going to lose, don't tell anyone you worked with our group. It'll ruin our reputation.”
“I'm ranked higher than you, you know?”
“Personal rank and reputation are two different things.”
Aint and Barus looked at each other and chuckled.
A warmth spread through his heart for no reason. For Aint, this mercenary venture was more than just gaining practical experience; it felt like he had gained a trustworthy friend—no, a comrade-in-arms.
“Anyway, I'll be going then.”
“Alright, see you later.”
Aint returned to the academy by boat, the same way he had come.
After the yacht club incident, quite a few patrol boats could be seen patrolling the academy's waters.
‘Come to think of it, I heard they're establishing a naval combat course.’
After such a commotion, it was inevitable that they would pay more attention to combat at sea.
The boat glided across the sea and arrived at the academy. The port was teeming with students like Aint, returning from the break.
- Where are you going? You belong in the La Vie Douce Dormitory now, not some smelly place like that.
“Ah. Right. I forgot.”
He remembered that his dormitory had changed when he became the salutatorian, and that he had moved his belongings right after the semester ended.
“It feels surreal, coming back here on my own merit.”
Aint marveled at the elegant facade of the La Vie Douce Dormitory. Before, he had come as a guest to see Verian, but now, he was a proud resident himself.
“Welcome, Lord Aint. We'll show you the way.”
As he entered the lobby, maids greeted him warmly. Just then, Aint ran into Verian, who was on his way out.
“Verian, it's been a while.”
“Aint? Just got back, I see. Getting lazy now that you're the salutatorian?”
“Not really. Where are you headed?”
“I'm going to see Senior Pernyan.”
“Senior Pernyan? Let's go together. I have something to tell him, too.”
It was about the Vile Breed he had encountered in the Prasia Kingdom. Although he had sent a letter, there were many things that needed to be discussed in person.
“…Do as you please.”
Verian nodded, his expression reluctant.
“Did you go home for the break?”
“I didn't. I was taking summer classes.”
“Oh, right. You mentioned that.”
“What about you? Your aura feels a bit… sharper.”
“I went to the Prasia Kingdom for a while.”
“Prasia? Did you do some mercenary work?”
“How did you know?”
“It's obvious.”
There are two places in the world with the most mercenaries. One is Bercefe, and the other is Prasia.
The reason, of course, is the abundance of monsters to subjugate—monsters that bring in money.
“Anyway, that explains your rougher feel.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“A guy who looked so mild-mannered has gotten sharp. It'd be stranger if it wasn't obvious.”
With that, the conversation died down for a moment.
“So, where are we going now?”
“The Southern Forest.”
“Senior Pernyan is there? Why?”
“You'll see when we get there. Ah, come to think of it, he did ask to be notified as soon as you arrived, so it should be fine for you to come along.”
“Me? Why?”
“I don't know that much. Stop bothering me.”
Silence fell again.
After walking for some time, as they finally stepped deeper into the forest, a strange sensation pricked Aint's senses.
“…Demonic energy?”
- It's demonic energy.
A discomfort that had become all too familiar.
Aint froze. And in that instant.
Rumble—
Not far from them, a massive black stem shot vertically into the air, unleashing a sound that tore through the sky.
“…Hk!”
“What is this…!”
The resulting shockwave swept through the area. Aint and Verian crouched low, swallowing groans.
—!
The stem that had shot into the sky pulsed, spewing out waves of energy. An opaque, dome-shaped field of demonic energy covered the forest.
- …This is a barrier!
“…What is happening!”
“Verian! What in the world is over there?”
“…A branch.”
“A branch?”
“The Branch of the World Tree. Half-corrupted.”
“…What did you say?”
Pernyan had mentioned bringing the Branch of the World Tree, so Aint already knew about its existence.
But what about it?
- He said its location was top secret and wouldn't even tell us, so how does this brat know?
- Wait a minute, the Branch of the World Tree is corrupted by demonic energy? Then, could that be…?
Those crazy bastards. How are they managing the World Tree? Gardner cursed.
In the next moment.
—!
A bizarre noise, impossible to describe in human language, echoed from within the barrier.
——!
It was an utterly unpleasant, bloodcurdling scream.
“…A tree?”
The stems wove together, forming a giant tree.
And that tree grew as if to pierce the heavens, and then it broke right through the sky.
“…Is space itself breaking?”
Verian's jaw dropped. Aint's gaze followed his.
A crack appeared in the sky right where the branch had extended, and shattered fragments fell to the ground.
- Don't tell me…!
- No, it can't be! This is impossible!
‘What is it, what's happening!’
- If my guess is correct, this is…!
At that moment, a single, pale white hand shot out from the crack.
Crack— As it forced the crack open, the destruction of space accelerated.
Aint's face turned deathly pale at the noxious demonic energy that filled the barrier.
- …A demon.
After the hand came an arm, then a head and torso.
- A demon is descending…!
A being in human form that could never be called human. And coiled around its arm, a single snake.
“…Andromalius.”
The 72nd demon, Andromalius, had descended.