A Plausible Plan (Complete)

To cut straight to the conclusion.

"Eugene?"

"Guhhhh..."

"Phew. Thought you were a goner."

The plan had succeeded.

Granted, the training ground had collapsed in its entirety, and the surrounding area was now a ruin — but still.

"H-Haviel!! Call a recovery mage immediately, and move that child to the guest room!!"

"...Yes, Lady Hestia."

In the end, I stayed at the Vulcanus Count Estate.

Haviel carried me there, and a recovery mage arrived the instant I was laid on the bed.

"Whoa. How are you even alive looking like this?"

"I... can... hear you..."

"Sorry. Figured you couldn't."

He looked momentarily startled at the pulp that was my body, then promptly began treatment.

"You out of your mind?"

"Hm? Something bothering you?"

"No, sir."

It was the kind of skill that made you feel like new flesh was about to sprout on the spot, and that prediction proved exactly right.

Sssrk. Ssrrrk.

Slower than Dawiraenol, sure, but the torn and shredded wounds were gradually knitting themselves back together.

How much longer passed after that?

"Hah... that about does it."

The recovery mage, having restored me enough to pass for human again, wiped the sweat from his brow and stood.

"That said, this is quite the unusual incident."

"What is, sir?"

"Getting attacked by a bear in Vulcanus territory. There aren't many places safer than this, you know."

I quietly looked at the bear.

"Bear."

"What."

"Bear."

"So what."

"Bear."

"..."

At least she had enough of a conscience to slowly look away. That was Vivian for you.

"Bear."

"I get it, so knock it off."

"Bear."

"...Want me to hit you again?"

"...Door."

Leaving us to our bickering, the recovery mage chuckled and packed his things.

"Anyway, take care of yourself. Mana and aura don't seem to take to your body at all."

"Thank you for the advice."

"Right. And watch out for bears."

"Thank you for the beadvice."

With that, the recovery mage took his leave.

And so, left in the room were Vivian, myself,

"And only Haviel remained."

"...Did you call for me?"

"Ah, crap. That was supposed to be an internal monologue."

Regardless, the first plan — pretend to be injured and remain at House Vulcanus — had succeeded.

Now all that remained was the next one: operate not as Eugene, but as the 2nd Apostle.

And to pull that off.

"Vivian."

"What."

"Mind going out to play for about three hours?"

"?"

I needed to kick Vivian out for roughly three hours.

And for good reason.

What lunatic would force an attack on a place where Vivian is staying?

Of course, if they got scared and backed off, that would be ideal — but.

The other side is a cult.

The primary antagonists of the Protect the Academy! universe. Tenacious, insidious bastards who didn't know the meaning of giving up.

Even if they get spooked and pull back for now, the moment Vivian disappears, they'll definitely attack again.

And in the current situation, that would be even more of a problem. Given their nature, the next attack would be even more covert, and far more thorough.

Even if I am the 2nd Apostle, whether I'd even hear about that intel is a toss-up.

On top of that, it was now time to move to Sion — the main stage of Protect the Academy!. If the attack vanished because of Vivian, and then something blew up after we returned to Sion?

There's a high chance she wouldn't be able to come help.

So it was better to take the attack today, stop it, and protect House Vulcanus.

I finished my calculations and looked at Vivian, who narrowed her eyes and asked,

"Why should I?"

This was it.

What do I even say to kick her out?

This was, in fact, the biggest problem.

It's ten o'clock right now.

What excuse could I possibly give to send her away at this ungodly hour?

And only for about three hours, at that.

Want me to send you to Daejeon for some Seongsimdang bread?

Go grab the sword I left in Ragna?

Get out, Vivian, unless you want to die?

As I was turning over these various thoughts—

"Spit it out."

"Huh?"

"I said talk."

She'd hear me out.

Vivian Marcia.

The strongest among the Five Heroes of the Empire, and the only one among them granted the Marcia surname.

If that Vivian helped me wipe out the cultists, nothing could be better. So of course I was going to ask for her help, but—

That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠window immediately floated up.

I didn't know the exact reason, but asking Vivian for help would raise the odds of failing the Happy Ending.

So what else could I do?

For now, I have to do this alone.

Dumping everything on Vivian would have to wait until after I'd at least deciphered Ariel's code.

"I said talk."

Vivian pressed me right on cue, so I picked one of the lines that had come to mind.

"Could you go fetch Marcia's Heart ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for me?"

"...Why that?"

"Don't bother if it's too hard."

Vivian's expression turned peculiar.

Marcia's Heart.

One of the most powerful ancient items, once used by the founding emperor, Marcia I. Sealed away under the imperial family's ironclad protection — not something you could just waltz in and take.

But to Vivian.

"...Wait about five hours."

It was a pebble rolling around in a slightly distant neighborhood.

Worried she might back out, I decided to give her pride a little scratch.

"You're not overreaching, are you?"

"What's that supposed to mean."

"I mean, it's not exactly an ordinary item. I heard it's on par with S-Rank. Even for you, Vivian, that might be a bit much."

"Don't worr—"

"Of course you'd be worried. Asking you to bring an imperial relic. Even for Vivian, this is genuinely too much, right? Aigoo, I should've just made friends with the imperial family instead. Ah, I didn't say that for you to hear — I was just thinking, what if I had,"

"..."

"Ah, friends with the imperial family. Ah. The imperial family."

Only then did Vivian's expression harden.

"I said don't worry."

"Ah, the imperial family. Should've befriended the imperial family."

"Hey."

"Heeh? Watashi?"

She chewed on her twitching lips as if trying to hide them, forcing a smile.

"Three hours. I'll be back by then."

With that, Vivian vanished.

Fwoom!

The next footprint appeared, and the window hung open, fluttering in the wind.

Don't tell me she's actually going to bring it.

If she actually managed to, I'd be able to pinpoint the 1st's whereabouts during the rank evaluation.

The imperial family would have a rough time of it, of course.

Regardless, every condition was now in place. I'd stayed behind under the pretense of injury, and Vivian — the suppressor of the Six Apostles — was gone.

Now for the next step.

Operate not as Eugene, but as the 2nd Apostle, and save House Vulcanus.

But before that.

I quietly turned my head.

Haviel, who had approached at some point, was inspecting the spot Vivian had kicked off from.

"...The floor's caved in."

As a member of House Vulcanus, he genuinely lamented the damage to the floor.

Well, fair enough.

House Vulcanus's current financial situation couldn't have been great. The main source of income for the Vulcanus territory was the byproducts harvested from slain monsters. Even after winning the war against the demon race, monsters had continued to multiply endlessly, so back when Vulkan was still hunting them, it had been counted among the wealthy territories.

But that Vulkan had fallen.

It was being held together by Hestia, but only within the barest minimum. Knights, mages, even mercenaries were all leaving Vulcanus territory.

"It must weigh on you."

I smiled and spoke up, and Haviel let out a short laugh as he stood.

"I suppose so. In the old days, something like this wouldn't have even registered, but for House Vulcanus as it stands now, this too is an expense."

He moved toward the window, a distant look on his face, and added quietly,

"But it's all right. Once the Count returns, everything will be resolved."

He wasn't wrong.

Vulkan Vulcanus. Guardian of the Empire, and the man who had led House Vulcanus to its golden age. If he came back, every problem — financial ones included — would vanish.

However.

"He won't be coming back, though."

"...Listen here."

The air froze the instant the words left my mouth.

"Even if you are Lady Rania's friend. Shouldn't you watch what you say?"

A piercing, ice-blue chill of aura — something that didn't belong in House Vulcanus.

"Nah, I just found it funny."

"Funny? The Count's absence is that amusing to you?"

"No, that's not it."

Having confirmed it, I tossed the words out.

"You're the one who dunked him in it. Vulkan."

"A man about to die will say anything, won't he!!"

Enraged, Haviel swung his sword — but my mouth was far faster.

The moment I finished speaking, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Haviel froze.

What I'd just uttered was a code phrase.

Anyone else might not have understood — but Haviel would have, with absolute certainty.

"..."

Haviel Ramis. A knight from a branch family of House Ramis, and a longtime friend of Vulkan Vulcanus.

Thud!

"M-May the Mother of the Apocalypse guide us!!"

He was a spy for the cult.

Haviel was thrown into panic.

In the Cult of Salvation he belonged to, members almost never knew each other's faces. For one reason only.

Security, and nothing else.

To reach the Salvation they pursued, they could never afford to be exposed. But if the Mother of the Apocalypse issued a command, completing it took priority — which meant there were times they had to make contact with their identities laid bare.

Exactly like right now.

Code phrases were assigned differently according to rank within the Cult of Salvation, and the one this man had just spoken—

"Child. Even on a night without a single star, do not fear, and take a step forward."

"..."

—was a password given only to those of Apostle rank.

The Mother's Six Children.

The most devout and unwavering of them all, who would not hesitate to commit massacre for their goal. And at the same time—

"Hah... this, truly, is life itself."

Monsters of an era who had quietly swallowed an entire small kingdom with just the six of them.

So that code phrase itself was a token of the Evil God — and it meant he was to submit and obey.

The moment that thought landed, Haviel could no longer even remain on his feet. He immediately pressed himself flat against the floor, not even daring to look up as he answered.

"M-May the Mother of the Apocalypse guide us!!"

Until a moment ago, he'd thought of him as a pitifully weak child and hadn't even paid him any mind.

So why was he so terrified now?

I'm going to die.

Black mist approached like an unseen death, and a merciless gaze came crashing down without a shred of pity.

I'm going to die. I'm actually going to die.

I shouldn't have pointed my sword at him. I should've treated him with more respect. At the very least—

I should've slammed my head into the floor hard enough to bleed.

As he berated himself for drawing his sword so rashly, desperately searching for a way to survive—

"Hey. Where's Vulkan."

He seized upon that thread of hope. Haviel immediately lifted his head.

"I will!! I'll guide you myself!!"

The moment their eyes met, he nearly fainted. He clearly had the face of a boy, and yet right now he looked like a demon from the abyss.

"That so?"

"Y-Yes! Thank you!! Thank you!!"

"Skip the thanks. Just make sure nobody finds out I slipped out."

"Yes!! I'll handle it without a single mistake!!"

But Haviel didn't let it show.

"Keheheh. Nice. Shall we get going, then?"

"Yes, O Son!! This way!!"

Because the moment he did, he would die.

Meanwhile, in the Emperor's chambers of the Imperial Palace of Marcia.

KRAAAAAANG!!!!

...Or rather, what used to be.

From beneath the neatly collapsed rubble, a silver-haired girl crawled out, staggering.

What greeted her was—

"Been a while."

"L-Lady Vivian?!"

Hero of the Empire. Tyrant Vivian.

She casually stuck out her right hand toward the Emperor.

"Heart."

"Pardon?"

"Heart."

...Pardon?