Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Festival of the Hundred Beasts (7)
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The incident only wrapped up deep into the early dawn. The once-empty banquet hall was now packed with people.
Four people and one animal were members of the elite adventure club, while the remaining nine were all affiliates of the Festival of the Hundred Beasts. Or more precisely, former affiliates.
"Ahhh... ugh..."
"D-don't move. You'll make your injuries worse."
Asel said in a worried voice. Before him sat three men in guard armor, backs pressed together, groaning in pain. Invisible hands gripped them tightly. Marya snorted as she slung her greatsword over her shoulder.
"Leave 'em be. They brought this on themselves."
"You bitch... Are you some giant half-blood or something? What kind of strength..."
"Aren't you guys just too weak? How's an adult supposed to get by without any power?"
Marya cackled. The men's armor was dented like they'd been rammed by a massive reindeer—the handiwork of Marya's greatsword techniques. Her signature Heavy Strike had shattered their ribs in just two exchanges.
"When we got that note out of nowhere telling us to head to Tower 13 where Professor Baren's office is... I had no idea what was going on. How'd Ronan even know about this?"
"I... I don't really know either."
The men were all poachers disguised as guards. When they'd suddenly received notes ordering them to Tower 13, they'd been baffled, but upon arrival, these two were indeed in the midst of prying open the office door. Braum, arms crossed, cleared his throat irritably.
"Ahem! Poachers infiltrating this sacred hall of learning... What a lamentable affair!"
"Still... it's good we knew ahead of time."
"Ppeht."
Ophelia, standing beside him, nodded in agreement. Cita, perched on her shoulder, flapped its wings as if concurring.
Ophelia, Braum, and Cita had formed a separate team to take down the poachers waiting to steal the doppelganger. Though all of them were combatants, which made it take some time, they'd successfully subdued them without casualties. A woman kneeling at Ophelia's feet trembled as she muttered.
"Haaah... V-vampire..."
"Shh."
Ophelia pressed a finger to her lips. Two small red puncture wounds marked the woman's neck. Not just her, but all the poachers Ophelia's team had captured looked somehow pallid. Stroking the woman's head, Ophelia looked up at Braum.
"They were bad people... right?"
"I-I didn't say anything!"
"Yeah... Thanks. I was so hungry..."
Braum nodded like a broken doll. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. Ever since learning Ophelia's true nature, he had nightmares every three days of having all his blood drained.
"Is everyone here now? Except Ronan."
"Ah, there's still one left."
"Who? Oh~ That guy's one of our members too."
Asel nodded. Creeeak— Suddenly, the banquet hall doors swung open, and a boy with dark blue hair entered. Unlike the disheveled other members, Schlieffen was impeccably dressed in his uniform, tie pulled taut. Seeing this, Braum let out a dry chuckle.
"Haha, impressive as always."
"So... noble-like."
Ophelia nodded in agreement. In Schlieffen's right hand dangled the scruff of an elderly man in a suit.
Judging by the blood staining both their clothes, things hadn't gone smoothly. Marya gaped upon recognizing the old man's face.
"...Isn't that old guy pretty famous?"
She vaguely remembered seeing his name while flipping through the wanted list. He was a criminal notorious not just for poaching but for serial killings. An Aura Awakener—no student should have been able to capture him.
Schlieffen strode forward and tossed the old man before the other poachers. Asel asked worriedly.
"A-are you okay...? There's blood..."
"It's not mine."
The curt reply came. Indeed, not a scratch marred his body. Schlieffen scanned the banquet hall slowly before speaking.
"Weren't there supposed to be ten? Why only nine?"
"W-well... One was taken by Ronan..."
"I see. He killed him."
Schlieffen nodded matter-of-factly, as if he'd expected it. Asel rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a note to read.
"Y-yeah... So, what happened was..."
It was an additional note from Ronan, delivered by crow around the time they'd rounded up the poachers. It detailed the duel with Arondale and the capture of the Omega doppelganger.
Hearing the name Arondale, Schlieffen raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that one to be the last.
They'd been ordered to flee on sight from the strongest, yet he'd caught it himself. A faint smile tugged at Schlieffen's lips.
"...You're climbing higher and higher."
"Huh...?"
"Nothing. I'm leaving."
As Schlieffen turned to go, Bang! The double doors burst open, and a boy with bandages around his chest entered. A familiar voice rang out.
"What, you all gathered here?"
"...Ronan?"
"Long time no see, you unlucky bastard."
The club members flinched at Ronan's sudden appearance. Far bloodier than Schlieffen, he clutched a long rope in one hand. Surveying the hall, Ronan whistled in admiration.
"One, two, three, four... Oh, you got 'em all?"
All the poachers he'd ordered captured were rounded up. He'd expected at least one to slip away.
With Naviroje having swept the transport team waiting outside the school, no poachers remained in Phileon. Chuckling, Ronan addressed each member one by one.
"Everyone did great. No one's hurt, right?"
"Y-yeah. No one. Hey, Ronan... what about the Omega doppelganger?"
"Oh, that. Was gonna introduce it anyway. And on the way back, I scored an unexpected bonus."
"Unexpected bonus...?"
"You'll see. Come on in."
Asel tilted his head. That's when Ronan tugged on the rope in his hand.
- I couldn't protect anything.
- I love you.
Soon, two men shuffled in from behind the door. Tightly bound by the rope, they flanked Ronan. The members' eyes bulged.
"R-R-Ronan... three of them?!"
"W-what's going on?!"
"Ppeht?!"
Marya clamped both hands over her mouth. Cita, mid-flight toward Ronan, froze in the air. The original Ronan said nothing, merely grinning.
"So, convincing?"
The members were speechless. The other two men's faces were identical to Ronan's. Three Ronans now stood side by side, facing them.
Thick blindfolds prevented close comparison, but they were unmistakably Ronan. The original sighed.
"Understand the blindfolds. The Omega ran into Baren and shifted into a drake. That lion picked a fight with the damn monster..."
Ronan and Baren had broken a fresh sweat recapturing the doppelganger after it transformed into a drake. The blindfolds prevented it from shifting into anything more troublesome.
The three Ronans each had distinct appearances. The left one was huge like an adult, clad in imperial army uniform, blood dripping from his feet.
The right one matched Ronan's current look but wore ornate attire fit for a crown prince. Asel stammered.
"D-did you catch the Alpha too? When?!"
"Eh, just happened. Found it on the way."
"...Who ran into the Alpha?"
Suddenly, Marya glared at Ronan with fierce eyes. Her low tone made the members shrink. Ronan finally spoke.
"Me."
"What?"
"Damn it, me."
Ronan sighed. On his way back to the main hall, carrying the sleeping Adeshan, he'd encountered a fluffy puppy. Its ears perked, then it suddenly transformed into Ronan. A sudden wave of self-loathing twisted his lips.
"Looks like... it likes me or something..."
"What does that even..."
He'd always thought he had no one he loved, but this outcome was unforeseen. Marya, unable to accept it, trembled.
"Anyway, time to box it up."
Ronan stuffed the Omega doppelganger into a crate. Far softer than a human, it fit easily.
He was about to do the same with the Alpha when a thought struck: This is too good to waste.
A creature that turns into loved ones. The festival grounds would be mobbed tomorrow—perfect for spectacle.
"...Might as well have some fun since we caught it. Hey, Empire's Rising Star."
"What?"
Schlieffen turned. Simultaneously, Ronan removed the Alpha's blindfold. Their eyes met.
The Alpha doppelganger bubbled, transforming into a silver-haired woman. Bound Iril beamed.
- Wow, Schlieffen! Hi there!
"What in the...!"
Schlieffen's face flushed crimson. Ronan burst into laughter that shook the hall. The other members gasped at Iril's face. Losing all composure, Schlieffen gripped his sword hilt.
"Insolent fool... How dare you bind Lady Iril with rope?!"
"Is that really the point? You really like my sister, huh."
"You bastard!"
"Yes, yes. Next up, our little wimp."
Ronan turned the doppelganger toward Asel. Blinking, it bubbled again. Realizing too late, Asel screamed.
"N-nooo!"
Too late. Its chest swelled, straining the ropes. In an instant, the Alpha became Marya, smiling at Asel.
- Cutie! Wanna live with sis?
"N-no...!"
Asel's legs gave out, and he collapsed. Marya's eyes widened. Blushing, she looked down at him.
"C-cutie, you..."
"M-Marya! It's, uh, this is...!"
"...You like me?"
Marya paused mid-head-pat. Asel froze. A whimper escaped his speechless lips.
"Th-that's... uh... waa... waaah!"
"Ahaha, this is kinda awkward..."
Marya scratched her cheek with a laugh. An uneasy silence fell between them. Asel's eyes darted between the two Maryas, welling with tears.
"Ugh... uwaah... waaah!!"
Asel bolted upright and fled the hall. His pitiful sobs echoed down the corridor. Stunned, Marya murmured.
"Cutie... likes me..."
"Yes, Miss Marya, look over here."
No time for sentiment. Ronan turned the doppelganger toward her. With superhuman reflexes, Marya covered her face and yelled.
"D-don't! Show that to me and I'll kill you!"
"Got it, got it. Just look. It only changes on eye contact."
"I said no! Kyaaak!"
Screams followed. Despite Ronan's efforts, Marya escaped without meeting its gaze. He tried with Braum and Ophelia too, but they'd already fled through the window. Deflated, Ronan smacked his lips.
"Tch, no fun."
Schlieffen had slipped away too, leaving the hall empty. Voices mixed outside the window—human chatter, beast growls, clanging metal... Sounds of people preparing for the festival after resolving the crisis. A sudden doubt arose.
But... hating yourself while loving yourself? Does that even work?
Ronan hated the him from his past life who protected nothing. Logically, an Alpha doppelganger turning into a loved one couldn't become himself.
"What the hell..."
Stroking his chin, Ronan stood before the Alpha. Their eyes met; it distorted and began transforming.
"Hm?"
Ronan raised an eyebrow. The emerging form differed from before. Golden hair darkened to black, height increasing noticeably.
The fully transformed doppelganger wasn't himself. A fiercely nostalgic voice rang out.
- Private.
"...Hah."
Ronan chuckled dryly. The unexpected sight stung his nose. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he looked up at it.
"Guess I admired you after all."
The night festival ended. The inky sky lightened. The day of the Festival of the Hundred Beasts had arrived.
The commotion from the night was kept strictly secret. After two hours of sleep, Ronan headed to Tower 41 where Zarodin was as dawn broke. Moments after knocking, Zarodin in pajamas greeted him.
"Ronan...? What brings you here so early...?"
"Sorry to barge in. Open the passage."
"Passage...?"
"You know, the one connected to Secret Professor's office."
Zarodin, fresh from sleep, sported bedhead like a magpie's new nest. Half-lidded, he spoke.
"Ah... Sepharaccio, you mean. Festival day's here—shouldn't you enjoy it?"
"I will. After this."
"Fine... You live such a busy life."
They headed to the bookshelf against the office wall. Zarodin removed a few books and chanted; it slid aside, revealing a path.
"Kashpha, Lunazie, Delphirim."
"Thanks. See you later."
Ronan strode down the passage after a brief thanks. A library surrounded by books appeared. A child sat on the floor reading. Spotting Ronan, Secret waved.
"Oh, Ronan. Been a while."
"Yeah, it has, Secret."
"So, what brings you to this old man?"
Secret stroked his nonexistent beard with a smile. He seemed confused by his child form. Silent for a moment, Ronan spoke.
"I need to perform the ritual. No matter what it takes."