Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: A New Direction
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Andromalius, scattering into dust.
The barrier vanishes.
Despite the minor hiccup of an elf selling out a spirit, the situation had finally come to an end.
*He really stopped Andromalius.*
He knew it was a future Aint could have handled even if he had done nothing.
That was what he had wanted to do. He had no desire to leave his mark by spending precious money. He was far from having any heroic ambitions.
But he couldn't.
He couldn't just sit back and wait for a future destined for ruin, so he had acted.
And that butterfly effect had made things harder for Aint.
He had no choice but to act.
Yet, the feeling of watching things get messier in real-time with every move he made was too complex to put into words.
In any case, the most dangerous hurdle was cleared. There had been twists and turns, but in the end, Andromalius was summoned, and Aint killed it.
And Pernyan had become Aint’s perfect ally, not his enemy.
That was enough.
"Haha..."
Of course, this was only the beginning, but for Pernyan, it had been a colossal mountain blocking his path.
"Now, for the aftermath..."
Just then, Ruina Bercefe’s body swayed. Pernyan quickly caught her.
"Are you still injured? I have plenty of potions."
"...It's not that. It's just... thinking that we really won, all the strength suddenly left my body..."
*Did the fatigue rush in all at once as the tension broke?* That was understandable.
She had fought with all her might against a great adversary like Andromalius, a battle where merely facing it was enough to drain one's spirit.
In truth, though she had received first aid with potions, her injuries were not light.
"Get some sleep."
"...Is that all right?"
"I'll take care of the cleanup. When you wake up, just don't forget the story we agreed on."
"Yes. I'll keep it in... mind..."
Ruina's eyes closed. Aint had collapsed and fallen asleep right after her.
"Aint's the same way. The fatigue must be hitting him."
"It's understandable."
"That's odd. I fought too, so why am I perfectly fine?"
"Because you didn't do anything."
"Can't you see these glorious wounds I got from facing the demon?"
"The professors are coming. Don't forget what we discussed."
"Who am I even talking to? Sunbaenim? Knock, knock?"
Aria's hollow voice echoed quietly.
* * *
Darkness roars.
Darkness descends. Inescapable terror and fear constricted her.
*I can't win.*
Her hand, her sword, trembled violently.
*I want to run.* She half-turned her body.
But in the end, she couldn't take a step.
Anguish tore through her mind.
*If I run...*
*If I can't stop the demon here...*
*What will happen to the academy? If I don't buy even a little time, the damage might be immense.*
She was a knight.
Not just a knight-in-training like the students in the academy's Knight Department, but one who had earned her title through meritorious service in the harsh North.
Sir Ruina Bercefe.
She had wanted to be a knight.
And she had become one.
What is a knight?
What does it mean to be a knight?
She recalled some of the vows she had taken when she swore her knight's oath. Vows she had spoken with her own lips.
*‘I will uphold honor, fight against evil, and establish justice.’*
Before her stood evil, more blatant than any other.
*‘I will not live a false life, and I will always pursue only the truth.’*
Was fleeing in violation of her oath truly the path of pursuing only the truth?
*‘I will be loyal to my lord and the Empire.’*
Was abandoning the nation she served and running away the chivalry she had championed?
*‘I will respect and protect the weak.’*
If she couldn't kill the demon here, if she couldn't delay it even for a moment, more of the weak would suffer.
If she broke her own promises and oaths, if she couldn't protect her homeland, how could she call herself a knight?
Some might call her foolish. But to her, being a knight was her life, her pride.
Becoming a Royal Knight was her lifelong goal.
One who flees cannot be a knight.
When she came to her senses, she was charging forward, ahead of everyone else.
And at that moment, she opened her eyes.
"......"
It was a hospital room within the academy. Her clothes were soaked in sweat.
A burning thirst made her instinctively reach out.
"Here."
She downed the cool water filled with ice. After emptying the glass in one go, she finally looked at the person who had handed it to her.
"...Pernyan?"
"You were unconscious for two days. The healer said your recovery rate is phenomenal."
"The demon...?"
"Don't you remember? It's dead. You pierced its heart."
"Ah."
She remembered. The sensations from that time were still vivid. It had been the most terrifying moment of her life, but also a moment she had overcome.
"We really, truly won."
"Yes, we won. We took down the 72nd-ranked demon, Andromalius."
"Andromalius..."
It felt somewhat surreal, but it was reality.
"What happened after that?"
"When the barrier fell, the professors and teaching assistants arrived late. We handled the situation with them."
Afterward, Pernyan had also holed himself up in a hospital room, feigning injury. He was supposed to be interrogated, but he wanted to get their story straight one more time.
"Aint woke up about half a day before you. Aria and Verian weren't seriously injured anyway. You were the last one."
"Didn't we agree to reveal that it was a demon?"
"We did."
And that idea had only solidified over the past two days.
"You can tell them everything you went through, exactly as it happened. Except for one thing."
"One thing?"
"The one on my shoulder."
Realizing the words were about him, Wooden tilted his head.
"My and Wooden's contributions never happened."
"Do we have to do that? No, your role was immensely significant. But why...?"
"A merchant has no need to stand in the spotlight."
The hero, the hope, had to be Aint and Aint alone.
It was because he believed that even though many things had gone awry, protecting the most important part would at least lessen the problems.
"Understand?"
"...Frankly, I don't."
From a knight's perspective, there was no reason to hide an achievement that would bring great honor.
"However, if that is your wish, I will follow it."
"Thank you."
"I should be the one saying that. You saved my life. Thank you."
Ruina bowed her head deeply.
* * *
"The President is summoning you."
The President, who had been away on an external schedule, had returned.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
He had already spoken with a few staff members about it, but given the gravity of the situation, the matter had inevitably escalated to the top of the academy's hierarchy.
And the moment the President returned, a full-scale interview was a foregone conclusion.
"The other students are being interviewed first. Please wait a moment."
"Understood."
When he arrived at the waiting room, a secretary served him tea.
The "other students" were likely those who fought Andromalius alongside Pernyan.
Ruina Bercefe, Aint Armian, Aria Friedien, and Verian Cal...
*Ah, did that guy even fight properly?* Well, he was there, at least.
*What should I say, and how should I say it?*
It was obvious what they would ask; the only thing left was how he would answer.
The academy's President was a wily old fox. A clumsy lie would only invite trouble.
Honestly, until a short while ago, he hadn't decided what to say.
He couldn't rashly judge which direction would be more advantageous.
But that was no longer the case.
Because two days ago, while Ruina was still unconscious, what he had been hoping for had unfolded before his eyes.
["It was a demon."
Aint's first words upon entering the President's office.
The President's hand, which was adding milk to his black tea, stopped dead.
"Andromalius. The 72nd-ranked demon."
"...So."
He began stirring with the teaspoon again. The cloudy milk mixed with the black tea.
"So you're saying you subjugated a demon."
"Yes."
A brief silence fell.
"That could happen."
After a long moment, the President, having savored his tea, stroked his beard.
"Anyone would be flustered when encountering demonic energy for the first time. The denser it is, the more so."
-What is this crazy old man spouting?
"Are you saying I'm lying?"
"I'm saying you could have been mistaken. A Vile Breed so powerful you mistook it for a demon."]
The pages of the Prophecy Book turned.
["What an absurd lie. A few students caught a demon?"
The secretary let out a derisive laugh.
"Perhaps he thought it was a chance to restore the Armian name?"
What kind of being was a demon?
The great adversary of humanity, disaster incarnate. It was common sense that students couldn't possibly subjugate such a being.
"He didn't seem to be lying."
"Then you mean it's true?"
"It's one of two things."
Either it was a real demon.
Or he truly believes a Vile Breed was a demon.]
Another page.
["It seems those bastards were planning to ruin our festival."
That was absolutely unacceptable. The other way around, perhaps.
"We'll have to catch the insects hiding in the academy. Wouldn't it be fun to make them neither dead nor alive and announce it during the Founding Day festival?"
When the festival reaches its peak, what if they were to add more fuel to the fire by slaughtering the Empire's long-standing enemies?
Hehehe, the President let out a hearty laugh.]
That was the end of the story about the summoned demon.
The story moved on.
[An armored horse gall... ]
[- Well done. At this rate...]
It also contained the future of events soon to unfold at the academy and hidden arrangements.
[- This is Blacksteel.
"Blacksteel? The one with excellent magic resistance?"
- You're in luck. It's no match for Mithril, but it's quite a useful ore.]
There was also trivial information that didn't greatly affect the grand scheme of things, but was very profitable.
"......"
Pernyan focused on the first prophecy.
Right after overcoming the great mountain that was Andromalius, he was left with one dilemma.
To keep the secret of the demon, or not.
Until now, Pernyan had deliberately kept it a secret because that was the more advantageous path.
It was the original flow of events.
The best path for Aint to grow through real combat and experience.
*If I needlessly spread rumors about the demon and get ahead of myself, only for Aint to fail to rise to the occasion, everything will fall apart.*
But this time was different.
With the descent of Andromalius, an unprecedented battle had unfolded, and even if people didn't know a demon had appeared, everyone had felt the thick traces of demonic energy.
The existence of Vile Breeds couldn't be hidden.
But how much of the story would unravel?
What would happen regarding the demon?
Until recently, he couldn't find a clear answer on what to do.
But that was no longer the case.
"Student Pernyan."
*Creeak*, the door opened and the secretary entered.
"The President is waiting for you."
"Understood."
The direction was set.
There was no longer a need to hide it.