Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Unicorn is Alive. #02
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“Eek!”
Thud!
Violet Purplecrow, who had been riding atop the unicorn, hurriedly leaped off the beast the moment it paused.
‘I-I finally escaped...!’
Her face flushed with the humiliation she'd felt just moments ago, Violet dusted off her rear as she turned back toward Arthin Ludwig. But she sensed that the atmosphere around her had shifted.
“Huh...? What's going on? Why is the unicorn approaching Arthin, who's covered in blood?”
“No idea? Maybe he's an enemy of the unicorn too?”
“Totally! I saw them fighting over a girl this morning too...!”
Whispers spread.
Even as the students grew restless, the unicorn offered no explanation. It simply ignited the flame on its horn solely for Arthin, and the murmurs grew louder.
“Um? Mr. Unicorn? Is there some kind of problem?”
Professor Carmen, who had been watching the chaos from a safe distance, noticed the anomaly and cautiously approached to address the unicorn.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [....] But the unicorn continued to gaze only at Arthin, showing no reaction to anyone else.
What was happening? Even the priestesses who had brought the unicorn cautiously observed the situation as they approached, and the murmurs faded away. Only the strange tension between Arthin and the unicorn dominated the surroundings.
“Big Brother...? Is that sword okay...?”
Lin Shaomei, watching the tense scene from right beside them, whispered softly with a worried expression.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The class ends here!!] The unicorn's resolute declaration echoed to everyone in the area, followed by an incomprehensible scene.
“A man who's not even a contractor... mounted a unicorn!?”
In the next moment, Arthin—who was neither pure nor a contractor—silently climbed atop the unicorn.
Lin Shaomei was stunned. In any normal situation, the unicorn's horn would pierce straight through Arthin's gut without a second thought.
Even more astonishing, the unicorn accepted Arthin mounting it and immediately began galloping off somewhere.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [I'll leave the wrap-up to this lord's harem and the professor!! This lord has an important matter to attend to!] Clop clop clop!
Before anyone could respond, the unicorn and Arthin vanished into the distance, out of the students' sight.
“...Big Brother Arthin got kidnapped by the unicorn!!”
“Huh, the unicorn? Took someone who's not even a contractor?! This is thesis material??”
“Did you see that? The Academy's Red Madman rode a unicorn!”
Chaos erupted all at once. With even the professor—who should have taken control—flustered by the impossible event, the situation spiraled.
“What is this? Is Arthin okay?”
As Violet approached Lin Shaomei and stomped her feet in worry,
the most flustered of all wasn't Lin Shaomei or Violet, but Jorba Pelkas, who had caused this mess.
“...What the hell is going on?”
Jorba pinched his cheek as hard as he could, but it hurt because it wasn't a dream.
“A-alright! Class ends here today! Write a report on divine beasts and their contractors by next week!”
Only after Professor Carmen regained her composure, thanks to the Southern Church priestesses, was she able to calm the students.
But the rumors spreading among the students about this incident were only just beginning.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I arrived at a deserted seaside spot, riding atop the unicorn.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Wait a moment. Even this lord needs to concentrate to open the portal.] As the unicorn made its horn glow purple while speaking, I sank into complicated thoughts.
‘I didn't check any villains at all, and now this massive incident hits right from the start?’
The unicorn wasn't just recognizing me and trying to cause a scene.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [I ask thee. Art thou truly Arthin Ludwig?] Its first words had sent a chill straight to my balls.
I'd never seen this unicorn foal in this regression, so how did it know my name and recognize me?
[That's right. But how do you know me?]
I was about to confirm that this thing had memory regression too—there was no other explanation—when,
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Our king seeks thee, Arthin Ludwig! Mount this lord's back!] [...What are you talking about?]
The unexpected statement left me dumbfounded.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Someone has stolen a portion of our king's power. Our king has chosen thee, Arthin Ludwig, to resolve this incident!] It said we'd hear the urgent details directly, then insisted on taking even an outsider like me along. Left with no choice, I was now waiting for the portal to the plains.
‘Southern Church, King of the Plains...’
Though called the same church, the Southern Church was entirely different from the rigid Northern Church, which worshipped a monotheistic sole god.
Unlike the North, where orthodox powerhouses like the Empire had purged powerful magical beasts and monsters, the South's vast wilderness still teemed with countless monsters, spirits, and other races.
Among them, by this world's lore, certain beings had elevated their existence endlessly to god-like status. These were the gods of the Southern Church.
In essence, the Southern Church was a religious federation blending extreme animism, shamanism, and totemism.
There were truly many gods, but the representative ones could be counted on one hand.
The Dragon Lord, emperor of the Southern Mountains; Behemoth, tyrant of the eastern seas; Thunderbird, god of the skies.
And the king of the hoofed beasts, Catoblepas—also known as the King of the Plains.
This King of the Plains, with eyes that instantly killed anything it gazed upon, had repelled the Demon King's armies multiple times. It was one of the most active gods.
‘Who could steal the King of the Plains' power, and how?’
Sure, its tier was a bit below the Demon King, but it was still a god. Who would dare such a bold act?
I had no idea. It wasn't in the original story or any other regressions.
In other words, this shitty world's ‘story progression’ had kicked in. More on that later.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The portal is open! Hold on tight!] While lost in thought, a dark blue portal bloomed before us, forming a circular gate.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [I'll warn thee ahead: shooting mana in the portal is dangerous, so be careful!] “I know that without you telling me. Let's go!”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Who dares kick this lord's body with thy heel! Were it not for the king's command, this lord would have crushed thee!] I signaled with my heel-less foot, and though it grumbled endlessly, the unicorn charged toward the portal.
Shwaaaa—
Entering the portal's maw, a galaxy reflected on the sea unfolded—a dark blue space filled with swirls of starlight, pointing the way to our exit.
‘This place is always such a fantastical sight, no matter how many times I see it.’
Due to the structure of portals that folded space, we always passed through this realm between portals.
The first time I saw this magical space that seemed to defy time and physics, I gaped in awe and nearly fell off the unicorn by mistake.
I got an earful for that. I still don't know what happens if you stray from the starlight path, but I don't want to find out.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Arthin Ludwig] “What? I'm holding on tight.”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Someone has invaded this lord's portal and is following behind. Be on guard.] What? I whipped my head around in surprise.
Sure enough, someone was trailing us through the starlight swirls, guided by the same light.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Dost thou know this being?] “Hold on... I can't see clearly...”
I focused my senses as much as possible, straining my eyes. But the enveloping starlight was too bright to make out the face or form clearly.
“I can only see the silhouette... human?? Looks human?”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Either someone blundered into the portal, or they're deliberately pursuing us.] Who would dare invade a portal? And since the creator wasn't some run-of-the-mill mage but a unicorn, no amount of hiding could evade detection.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [This lord shall close the portal right after we exit. We cannot allow an unpermitted outsider into the land of the plains!] The unicorn planned to trap the intruder as a lost soul in portal space. I thought for a moment.
“Wait, don't do that. If they're accomplices of the one who stole the king's power, it'd be easier to capture and interrogate them.”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Dost thou think the one who dared steal the king's power would so easily confess?] “Don't worry, I know a method.”
I couldn't forget the dozens of torture techniques I'd learned firsthand in the Northern Church.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [If thou hast a method, this lord shall hold off trapping them in the portal. But if they resist, this lord may slay them.] Though it said that, having spent time with it before, I could tell.
This guy was hoping the intruder would resist so it could mercilessly kill them.
‘Well, if they're too strong for me to subdue right now, better off dead anyway.’
With that thought, we exited the portal into the middle of vast plains stretching like the Mongolian steppes.
Griffons soared in the sky, gorgons chewed grass like pastured dairy cows, and all sorts of monsters and divine beasts roamed about.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [This is the land of the plains. The domain of our king.] It whispered proudly, as if urging awe.
But having visited several times already, I preferred the mystical beauty of the portal space.
“Alright, the intruder's coming soon, so let's focus on that.”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hm? Ah, right. But dost thou feel no awe at the king's domain?] “No, this takes priority, doesn't it?”
Listening to its endless boasts about its kind would never end.
I dismounted the unicorn, extended my hand toward the portal, and began pre-casting a spell.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [It's coming soon. Prepare thyself!] Right after the unicorn's shout, someone began stepping out from the portal.
At that moment, the unicorn's horn glowed blue, sealing the portal. The starlight around the intruder faded, revealing their form.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Intruder! Who dares enter another's domain without permission! Prepare to di...] “...W-wait a second. Why the hell are you here?”
I had no choice but to interrupt the raging unicorn upon seeing the intruder's face.
“Hello, Young Master Arthin?”
I couldn't have predicted this. Why was she calling me Young Master? No clue where things went wrong.
“Meeting you like this has me a bit flustered too. Hehe...”
Sion Idris, the brown-haired knightess, blushed faintly.