Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Advancement
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“...”
The first thing Gideon confirmed upon regaining consciousness was that he was lying on an old wooden bed.
It was probably the Campbell Barony. At least, as far as he could remember, no other land nearby exuded this level of peaceful quietude.
“No need to strain yourself figuring out the situation. Let me sum it up simply.”
Before he could fully come to his senses, a voice drifted in from the side.
It was Dawood Campbell, legs propped up leisurely as he read a book spread across his lap.
“The subjugation was wrapped up cleanly, and the other members have all been dismissed. No casualties. Kendrid Margrave has returned to his own territory.”
The man continued without even glancing his way, his tone flat.
“Kendrid Margrave seemed to have it tougher this time, so we’ve decided to visit the North for the next pilgrimage homecoming event. No objections from you, Duke?”
“...”
As if he’d have any.
In a situation that had nearly turned into a catastrophe, the fact that it ended without issue was blessing enough.
Gideon glanced down at his chest.
His last memory was a fragment of the demon flying toward him and embedding itself there.
“The demon fragment has been fused with Elnor. That makes two now.”
“...!”
Gideon’s eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright in bed.
“What the hell do you—”
“If we’d kept it from reaching Elnor right away, it’d just be turning a blind eye. You know that.”
Gideon’s eyes wavered.
“Even if the fragments embed in different humans, they ultimately gather in the one with the highest ‘compatibility.’ And Elnor’s the top candidate ever certified by the Heresy Inquisition among human vessels, isn’t she?”
“...”
“...You.”
He spoke in a trembling voice.
“How the hell do you know all this...?”
“I even know they’re using the excuse of keeping that info under wraps to make you suffer endlessly.”
The sound of pages rustling accompanied the flat voice.
This was clearly not a topic that should come up so casually.
“And I know what you’ve been doing to protect Elnor.”
His goal of eradicating the family madness was for his daughter, after all.
Having heard that much, Gideon couldn’t even form a question, his hands merely trembling.
The words this man uttered were the nightmares that had gnawed at him his entire life.
“More importantly, let’s celebrate extracting a demon fragment from a human without killing them. Isn’t that what you’ve been researching forever?”
He even knew his ‘purpose.’
Casually.
As if chatting about the weather.
“So, as the guy spilling secrets no one but you could know, here’s my proposal.”
Dawood closed the book with a snap and yawned before continuing.
“I’ll fully cooperate in protecting Elnor. Specifically, preventing the ‘catastrophe’ that’s inevitably coming her way.”
“...”
“But I’d like you to leave the method entirely to me.”
“...”
“We’ve built... something resembling trust, right? I’m all in on helping you.”
If he’d wanted to do something nefarious, he could’ve succeeded dozens of times over by now.
That was the unspoken message between the lines.
Hearing that, Gideon forced out a response.
“...Putting two fragments on that child is part of your ‘method’?”
It was hard to believe, but not a single word from this man had been a lie.
‘How does he know all this?’ didn’t matter right now. The man had no intention of explaining willingly, and Gideon had no means to uncover it anyway.
But he needed to know why he’d done such a thing.
“You know what happens when three gather, and yet—”
“As I said, three fragments gathering in Elnor is inevitable. But if I ‘intervene’ in the process entirely, that changes things.”
“...What?”
“I’m saying it won’t repeat the incident you went through before. Routing the fragment through you this time was part of that process.”
With those words, a scene unfolded in Gideon’s mind.
Summer. Study. The day the cicadas screamed deafeningly.
The day his entire life twisted.
Bloodstained longsword. Corpse slumped on the floor.
“...”
This man.
Knew even that?
How far did he know? How far did he plan? How far did he see?
Gideon stared silently at Dawood, who was scratching his beard languidly.
“Oh, Dawood. You’re here—”
As he mulled it over, someone entered the room.
It was Elnor.
Her gaze lingered on Gideon, sitting up in bed.
“...”
“...”
Silence hung for a moment, her head fixed toward him before whipping away.
“...They say the heirloom you requested from the Chester Earl’s house has arrived. The carriage is waiting.”
“Yeah, I’ll head out right away. The mid-tier relic came with it, right?”
“Yes. I checked the certificate.”
Leaving those words, Elnor spun on her heel and left the room.
To an outsider, it might seem like they were still treating each other as invisible as ever.
“...”
But Gideon himself felt like he’d been struck in the back of the head.
In place of the hostility and hatred always in her eyes.
He’d caught a faint trace of ‘something else.’
The girl who’d seen him as nothing but an enemy her whole life since that day.
Had started seeing him, just a little, differently.
“...I know you’ve been ignoring her out of guilt.”
Dawood, about to follow Elnor out, gave a wry smile as he spoke.
“It might resolve easier than you think.”
Even when she lost her reason to the madness.
Even when eroded by the demon fragment, her fragile remaining sanity manipulated.
She was someone he’d never wanted to harm.
That was the meaning behind Dawood’s parting words.
As he left, Gideon blankly replayed the gaze Elnor had just sent him.
●
“...So long...”
I stagger into my room back at the dorm and collapse onto the bed.
No, vacation’s barely started, and I can’t even rest? What is this?
“...”
Still, I’ve got to check things over.
Lying on the bed, I pull up the system window.
[Side Quest ‘Commotion’ completed!]
[Reward issued!]
[Mid-tier relic x1 issued!]
I nod as I scan through it.
I’ve combined the received relic with the heirloom from them and sent it to my Elpante dorm.
It’s optimized for ‘training,’ so once it arrives, I can unpack and start using it immediately.
And.
Something far more important.
[System Message]
[‘Trade’ with the ‘Gray Devil’ confirmed!]
[Stage 1 restriction of ‘Stamp of the Otherworld’ lifted.]
[Your attribute will gradually change from ‘Human’ to ‘[Demonic]’.]
[Changes accelerate the closer your ties with ‘demons’ become.]
I give a wry smile and dismiss the system window.
Sure, I requested it, but seeing it confirmed in writing like this still tastes bitter.
“...”
I run a hand over the Stamp of the Otherworld wriggling on my chest like it’s alive.
Lately, it’s been twitching on its own like this, bit by bit.
It started after I summoned it into ‘my body’ during that duel before the Pontiff.
And after the deal with the Gray Devil, the sensation feels even more vivid.
As the message says, it’ll slowly turn me into ‘something not human.’
Closer ties with demons speed it up, so targeting other demon vessels will probably accelerate it further.
‘...It’s do or die now.’
Normally, I’d never touch this.
In the settings, it’s one of the most extreme ‘gambles’ a human in the Sera world can take.
Deals with demons. Any entanglement with them usually ends badly for the person.
If I can’t ‘resolve’ this stamp at the right time, I might end up better off dead.
‘At least there’s a way to survive.’
I’ve already mapped out insurance in my head.
It’ll be hellishly tough, but definitely possible. A way to preserve my humanity without aftereffects and ‘survive.’
That’s why I’m pulling this stunt.
“...Sigh.”
Of course, it means more grueling hardship ahead.
I sit up with a sigh.
But the payoff matches the risk—it’s staggeringly effective.
‘Definitely advances Chapter 3...’
If Chapters 1 and 2 focus on tackling powerful single bosses, Chapter 3 shifts to overcoming multiple simultaneous ‘crises.’
Dealing with several somewhat weaker foes at once, way more often.
And in those scenarios, if this ‘unrestricted Stamp of the Otherworld’ grants the ability I think it does.
It’ll be terrifyingly efficient.
It was never meant for players originally. Having this would make clearing too easy.
“...”
Plus, there’s a reason I need this power, risks and all.
‘I don’t like being dragged along by someone else’s plans.’
Something I pondered deeply after breaking through Valkasus and the boss fight.
Pushing the main scenario means pioneers like in Chapter 2 will meddle freely, creating variables outside my control.
This is my prepared counterpunch for that.
He probably never imagined I’d go this far.
So, it’ll be a perfect response to whatever schemes he’s plotting next.
With that thought, I scan the next window that pops up.
[System Message]
[‘Gray Devil Fragment’ fuses with target ‘Elnor.’]
[Target ‘Elnor’s’ vessel grade rises!]
[Better able to handle demonic energy!]
[Personality changes!]
[Emotional upheaval toward some targets!]
I skim the scrolling messages.
Especially eye-catching is the last one.
It’s flashing like there’s more to check, so I tap it.
[System Message]
#1
[Target ‘Elnor’ develops confused feelings toward target ‘Gideon.’]
[Hatred toward target diminishes!]
[Some changes to main scenario branching!]
[Hidden event conditions met!]
[Hidden Event ‘???’ occurrence conditions met 1 time! (2/3)]
Yeah.
This is what I endured all that for. It’s that crucial.
But why #1?
There’s more?
#2
[Target ‘Elnor’ realizes target ‘Dawood’ is way more popular than thought!]
[Monopoly desire intensifies!]
[Monopoly desire accelerates preparations underway!]
[‘Engagement Ring’ production schedule advanced!]
“...”
Wait.
Hold on.
Preparations for what?
●
“...What the hell did you do over break for you to look like that? You’re like a walking corpse.”
“I got recognized as decent by the Northern Margrave, improved family relations with a grand duke who’s on bad terms with his daughter, and oh, they’re granting me a viscountcy too.”
“...”
“And the Tristan Duchess is apparently crafting an engagement ring for me.”
Atalante Dean’s face twisted into an expression screaming, ‘I told you to rest, what the hell did you do?’
I get it.
Small mercy: all the chaos meant the Elnor-or-Eliya dilemma fizzled out.
Either choice would’ve been hell for me, but the incidents led to prioritizing ties with Kendrid Margrave first.
“...Let’s start with what I’ve already heard.”
The dean sighed and spoke.
“Suddenly gaining a title as a student is a big deal. The academy will have to treat you differently from now on.”
“...Hold on. They’re recognizing it just like that?”
When Elnor casually tossed me that land, I figured it’d be a headache to process. But the dean’s tone suggests it’s already a done deal.
Can the Empire decide territory inheritance so arbitrarily?
“First, the lands near Campbell Baron are utter backwaters of backwaters. Honestly, the imperial family probably doesn’t care what happens to them.”
“...”
Harsh way to put it.
It’s not cursed or anything.
“No special resources, nothing noteworthy, not particularly harsh terrain. That’s why you don’t seem interested in managing it, right?”
“...”
Fair point.
Frankly, getting the territory’s bigger for the dungeon subjugation and relic hunting access. I dumped management on Dad and fled back to the academy.
I’ll check in occasionally during breaks.
“And second.”
Atalante adjusted her monocle and continued.
“It works because it’s you.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re a hot potato across tribal alliances, Holy Kingdom, imperial family—no exceptions. Not forgotten how you shone before the Pontiff last time, right?”
“...”
“They won’t nitpick a valuable asset like you. If the imperial family interferes, the Holy Kingdom or tribes will snatch you up.”
Makes sense.
Didn’t realize I was that hot.
One question, though.
“...Why’s your face looking so sour since earlier?”
“It’s all connected, Dawood.”
Atalante rummaged her desk and pulled out a document.
“Students recognized with such merit mid-enrollment must advance. Can’t keep you as a freshman.”
“...I didn’t do anything?”
“If those around you say so, it is so. There are things we can’t assign freshmen.”
I take the document from her and read.
Rules for advancing from freshman to second-year class.
“...”
My face hardens instantly.
“Second-year opens up way more events and activities inside and outside the academy, including exchanges with others. Powerhouses have been waiting with bated breath for when you’d hit second-year.”
I scan the bottom of the document.
Invitation. Crucible of Strife. One week from now.
“And the tribal alliance seems especially interested in you.”
I know it well.
‘Academy Exchange Student’ event.
The signal flare kicking off Chapter 3.
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