Chapter 72
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The 64th Demon, Flauros
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The most important thing for a successful bet is to wager on a sure winner.
In that sense, Pernyan was bound to have a higher win rate than anyone else.
This was because, through his prophecies, he had a general idea of who would advance and who would be eliminated.
With one exception: Aint Armian.
‘The Aint in the prophecy and the Aint of today are very different.’
Many things had happened since he met Pernyan. In the process, Aint had become quite different from his prophesied future self.
The problem was not knowing whether this change was a positive or negative one.
Therefore, he couldn't be certain if Aint's ranking would follow the Prophecy Book.
‘In the prophecy, Aint makes it to the semifinals.’
And in the semifinals, he faces Ruina and is defeated.
In a way, it was to be expected.
Aint was certainly strong and had defeated Andromalius, but that was only possible because the Armian family's swordsmanship was a perfect counter to demons.
In terms of pure swordsmanship, of raw skill alone, Aint could not yet defeat Ruina.
His growth rate was so overwhelming that this wouldn't last for long, but at least for this Jousting Tournament, it was the case.
But since the past had changed, there was no guarantee the present would remain the same.
‘Should I try to sound him out? Ask if he can beat Ruina?’
Not that it would give me a clear answer.
‘Worrying about it won't solve anything. I'll just have to wait and see how things go until the semifinals.’
Having organized his thoughts, Pernyan left the dormitory and headed for his merchant guild. With the festival and the betting operations, he had a mountain of work to do.
Just then, he spotted Aint sitting on a bench.
“Aint Armian?”
As Pernyan called his name, the focus slowly returned to Aint's eyes, which had been staring blankly at the sky.
“Ah, Senior Pernyan.”
“What are you doing, just sitting there spacing out?”
“Ah, well…”
He was calming the power he had absorbed from Andromalius.
The demon's power, composed of potent demonic energy, would occasionally run rampant if not fully absorbed.
But he couldn't just say that.
-Just make something up. Say you were reviewing the battle with the demon.
“I was thinking about the demon followers.”
“The demon followers?”
“We did subjugate Andromalius, didn't we? I was thinking that with their plan thwarted, the demon followers might try something else. It just doesn't seem like they'd stay quiet.”
“Something else, you say.”
Hmm, Pernyan tapped his fingers on his knee.
It wasn't an entirely baseless concern. People are often most vulnerable right after they've completed a task.
Having killed Andromalius and thoroughly swept the academy to capture all the demon followers, the academy had let its guard down.
“The Founding Day festival would certainly be the perfect stage to cause a commotion.”
The stage was set perfectly. If they were to actually make a move, this would be the best time.
However, Pernyan knew that wouldn't happen.
“Don't worry about that. At least until the festival is over, there won't be any trouble.”
“How can you be so sure?”
*Because I read it.* He couldn't give that answer.
“When Andromalius was summoned, the sacrifice was a corrupted Branch of the World Tree. There's no way they could acquire something similar again in such a short time.”
“That's true, but…”
“More importantly, most of the spies within the academy have been eradicated. Do you think they have the luxury of trying something foolish in this situation?”
*No.* Honestly, he could be sure of this even without the Prophecy Book.
Of course, they might do something reckless out of sheer malice, but the headmaster didn't seem that careless.
“I suppose you're right. I was honestly worried.”
“About what, for instance?”
“With so many of the Empire's dignitaries gathered at the academy, if something happened here, wouldn't it paralyze a part of the Empire? So I thought, what if the demon followers unleashed a horde of demonic beasts and started a war...”
“A war? That's a bit of a stretch.”
*Of course, in the distant future, a great war for the fate of the world would break out, but for now...*
“Ugh…!”
In that moment.
──!
With a roar like thunder, Pernyan felt a splitting headache, as if his skull would crack open.
His vision went black. In the next instant, a new world unfolded.
It was different from his usual prophecies—a more vivid, bleak future.
The sky was the color of blood.
Just like when he had foreseen the summoning of Andromalius, and just like when Andromalius had actually been summoned.
‘Don't tell me another demon is being summoned…?’
Atop a towering fortress wall, Aint stood with his back to the people.
Ruina approached his side.
[“Aint.”
“Senior, to be honest, I'm scared. But you said it before, didn't you? That a knight is the sword that vanquishes their lord's enemies and the shield that protects their lord.”
That a knight neither flees, leaving their lord behind, nor dies later than their lord.
“…You didn't need to remember that.”
“No. Thanks to you, I feel a little more at ease.”]
*Shing.* Aint drew his sword. His beloved blade emitted a soft glow.
[“I'm only telling you this, Senior, but I want to raise my family's name again.”
He wanted to restore his fallen family and return it to its rightful place.
“You…”
“Someone once told me. The Emperor is the knight of the Empire.”
"So I can't just run away and leave the Empire behind.”]
Time seemed to accelerate. Soon, the fortress walls were packed with thousands of soldiers.
Aint, Ruina, and the other first-year students gazed down at the great plain stretching below the walls.
And there...
...they were.
*Grrroooaaar-*
*Krrrrrr-*
A massive horde of monsters, kicking up clouds of dust. Demonic beasts. And at their head.
He stood.
[“…A demon... This is impossible…”
“A real demon? Haha, we're all going to die…!”
“We have to run!”
“And run where?”]
Faced with such overwhelming demonic energy and presence, everyone trembled in fear.
‘A real demon?’
Pernyan was horrified. The demon summoned this time was completely different from the last.
Unlike Andromalius, this one was not alone.
He was a legion commander, leading a horde of monsters and demonic beasts numbering in the thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, that filled the entire plain.
Pernyan tried to get a better look at the creature, but it was too far away to see clearly.
[“Such a meaningless struggle. Quietly await your deaths. That is your destiny.”
“Ah, no…!”
“I don't want to die…!”]
The demon's low voice intensified the people's terror.
Just then, Aint raised his sword high and drew forth his aura.
A warm stream of light enveloped the entire fortress wall, pushing back the demonic energy laced in the voice and calming their minds and bodies.
[“Everyone, pull yourselves together!”
“Just because it's a demon, are you going to tremble in fear and wait for death?”
“If it tells you to die, will you simply die?”
“No. There is no reason to, and we absolutely must not.”
“A thousand years ago, the first Emperor defeated all the demons and King Collomo, saving the world. They are not invincible.]
Aint's speech was not particularly grand.
But his light pushed back the demonic energy and fear, planting courage in their hearts.
It made them realize the reality that there was no retreat if they failed to win, fostering grit and tenacity.
Aint Armian. His very existence inspired hope.
[“That's right! Dying while doing nothing is the same as dying while fighting!”
“We have Aint Armian!”
“The adversary of demons!”]
Hope, or perhaps indignation and desperation.
Rough shouts and cries filled the fortress walls.
And at that moment.
*Bwoooooo-* The sound of a war horn echoed across the battlefield.
That was the beginning.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud-*
The monsters, the demonic beasts, roared. They charged toward the fortress, kicking up dust across the vast plain.
[“All units, prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
“Move to your positions!”]
Knights stood at the forefront of the walls. Mages began to chant their spells.
The enemy legion closed in rapidly.
Brilliant magic rained down among them. Screams and monstrous cries filled the air.
And finally, the moment the demonic beasts reached the fortress walls.
[“Long live the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group!”
“Knights of the Iron Cross, face the enemy!”
“Soldiers! Fight the enemy and protect the kingdom!”]
[“For the eternal glory of the Armian Empire!”
“For the eternal glory of the Armian Empire!”
“For the eternal glory of the Armian Empire!”]
The vision of the future ended.
“……”
Pernyan gasped for breath. His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins all over his body stood out.
“*Gasp, gasp...!*”
Having felt a demonic energy incomparably more potent than Andromalius's, Pernyan let out ragged breaths.
A chilling sensation still lingered. Along with the splitting headache, the tips of his fingers trembled.
“…Senior? Why are you sweating all of a sudden... Are you all right?”
“…I'm fine.”
He was not fine. It was the first time he had faced such horrifying demonic energy.
‘Who the hell was that bastard?’
Pernyan shot to his feet.
“Senior?”
“I just remembered I have an appointment. Let's talk later.”
“Senior!”
He disappeared in an instant. Left alone, Aint stared blankly at his retreating back.
“…What was that all about?”
-It's similar to what happened before. It was just for a moment, but his focus suddenly blurred.
“I don't sense anything special around here.”
-My senses tell me the same. Honestly, I have no idea what's going on.
-Must be a chronic illness.
“Hmm, that seems most likely. I guess it doesn't matter how much money you have. I don't know what illness it is, but he looked like he was in a lot of pain.”
-He's rich. He'll figure it out.
-If you've calmed the demonic energy, let's go back to the dorm and finish absorbing it.
-It'll be a real problem if the same issue pops up during an emergency.
“Yes.”
Aint returned to La Vie Douce Dormitory.
* * *
“Demon, demon…!”
Pernyan had arrived at the library.
From among the few books on demons, he pulled out *King Collomo and the 72 Demons*.
It was a book that didn't go into great detail about the demons but offered simple descriptions of their characteristics and appearances.
“Not this one, not this one…”
He flipped through the pages quickly.
Although it had been too far to see clearly, he remembered a few particularly prominent features.
And finally.
“…Found it.”
Pernyan had found the demon he saw in his vision.
*The 64th Demon, Flauros.*
*A demon in the form of a leopard. It can transform into a human shape, at which point it takes the form of a man with a leopard's head, wearing a leopard's skin.*
A human form, but with the face of a leopard and draped in a leopard's skin. This was definitely the one.
“…The 64th demon, Flauros?”
Pernyan's grip on the book tightened.
Why jump from the 72nd to the 64th? What about the others?
‘No, calm down. The demons' rankings aren't a measure of strength or hierarchy, they're just numbers.’
So it was written at the beginning of *King Collomo and the 72 Demons*.
So there shouldn't be an overwhelming power gap between the 72nd and the 64th.
‘…Then what was that demonic energy?’
It felt like it was on a completely different level from Andromalius.
Pernyan broke out in a cold sweat and forced himself to read the book again.
There was a little more information on Flauros.
*Flauros is an exceptionally skilled warrior.*
*Flauros's red eyes are always burning, and he can control fire with his authority.*
A fire-wielding leopard warrior...
“…Hahaha.”
I thought there was nothing dangerous in the prophecies this time, that I could just relax and make some money.
“I'm so screwed.”
The advent of a monster on a completely different level from Andromalius was foretold.
And true to his title as a Legion Commander of Hell, he would be leading a massive army.
Fuck. How am I supposed to stop this one?