The Last Memory (2)
The Last Memory (2)
My consciousness flickered. The moment I opened my eyes again, a rather familiar scene spread out before me.
Antique buildings.
Students moving about in neat uniforms.
[Remaining Time: 42:00:00]
This was the Imperial Academy.
*****
...Did you say a simple inspection visit?
The headmaster of the Imperial Academy, Manuel, wore a reluctant expression as he looked at the two people seated across from him.
Sword Saint Kiel.
The empire's strongest knight nodded, seated in his chair.
Nor was he the only one. Beside him sat the empire's third Archmage, Olivia.
Even in her student days, her magical application alone had surpassed her professors, and she had now ascended to a position where she could no longer simply be called a graduate.
'Nine years?'
Overwhelming talent that had risen from rock bottom to the Pinnacle in a brief span of less than ten years.
She had now become a legend of the academy.
"Yes. A simple inspection visit, Headmaster Manuel."
Olivia spoke in a flat voice.
"I am aware that you are not the sort of people to do such things, but as there are principles to uphold, I ask for your understanding for a moment."
Manuel brought out two sheets of paper.
They were a pledge stipulating that they would not make contact with current students for commercial purposes.
"Do that many talented people get poached?"
"Hahaha..."
At Kiel's question, Manuel laughed awkwardly.
"It is the trend of the world. An era has come where money matters more than honor."
If it were just being scouted by other nobles of the empire, that would be fortunate.
The problem was crossing the border.
Whatever else could be said, the Eastern Coalition's capital power alone was outstanding. The enormous profits from intermediary trade were such that even the empire could not ignore them.
"Here, the signatures have been confirmed. Is there anything in particular you would like? A guide, for instance."
"No need. We know the layout."
"Understood. Then..."
Headmaster Manuel bowed his head, then closed the reception room door behind him as he left. The moment the door shut, Olivia looked at Kiel.
"The academy?"
"It couldn't be helped. This time around, 'you' absolutely refused to yield."
"Oh, really?"
Olivia nodded as if she understood roughly.
'Well, there's no way she'd miss an event like demon extermination.'
Over the past four years, the Olivia of the Genocide Run had grown at a terrifying pace.
[Olivia]
Level : 97
Class: Archmage of Bitter Cold and Lightning
Titles : One Trusted by All, Academy Valedictorian, Heiress Apparent to the Gold Tower.
She had ascended to the rank of Archmage and earned the favor of countless people.
Of course, no one but the person herself could ever know that these were all paving stones for genocide.
'About a year and a half left, then...'
It was nothing to worry about.
It couldn't be stopped anyway.
Genocide was already a foregone conclusion.
Olivia turned her gaze out the window. Fresh-faced students were strolling along the streets, chatting among themselves.
Starting from Imperial Year 996, the storyline related to demons would begin in earnest.
Demonfolk, the Demon World, devils.
Its starting point was precisely the Imperial Academy.
"Olivia."
Olivia turned her head.
"What."
Kiel cleared his tight throat with a cough.
Then, in an uncharacteristically awkward voice, he said,
"Ahem, hm. It's good to see you. We meet again after two years this time."
"For me, it's only been a single day, I keep telling you."
"Even so."
Kiel smiled and nodded his head.
Two years was a long time.
But it was too short a time to forget a friend.
"Anyway, so this time you'll be staying for two days?"
"Just shy of two days."
"Then there must be quite a lot we can do."
Kiel spoke.
"But do you know something? Starting today, one year of mine will be the same as one day of yours."
"What are you talking about."
"Exactly what I said. Today, I can meet you for two days, and four years from now, I'll be able to meet you for four days. And after eight years pass, I'll be able to meet you for eight days. I don't know why, but it worked out precisely like this. So it was easy to memorize."
Kiel counted on his fingers, folding them down.
"Sixteen years, thirty-two years... I don't think I'll live to be a hundred... Then, four more times from now, sixty days remaining."
"..."
"What's with that expression? Did I get the calculation wrong?"
It felt like I'd been hit over the head with a hammer.
It was worse because Kiel's expression was so untroubled.
Because of that, I couldn't answer sharply.
"...No. You got it right."
It was a lie.
Today was the last time he would appear in my memory.
Two years from now, Kiel would die.
And four years from now, the world would be destroyed.
"...You’re right. Like you said, there are still sixty days left."
I felt sick inside.
What on earth was this emotion? Guilt? Pangs of conscience?
Olivia exhaled, "huh," then pushed herself up from her seat.
It felt like this suffocating feeling absolutely couldn't be resolved by sitting still.
"...Let's walk a bit."
A walk would probably make it a bit better.
*****
'Walking does make it a bit better.'
Olivia walked along the promenade. Kiel followed a few paces behind. Even though it was lunchtime, not a single student could be seen on the promenade.
Not even one.
Come to think of it, the headmaster had asked, 'It would be all right to give the students a light heads-up that the two of you are visiting, would it not?' and I had given permission.
But he hadn't made any kind of announcement, and was it even reasonable for there to be not a single soul?
Just then, a stern voice rang out from the speaker in the middle of the promenade.
- Ah. Beloved students. This is your headmaster. Today, Sword Saint Kiel and Archmage Olivia have honored us with a visit to the academy. I ask that all of you maintain proper conduct, 'just as you do ordinarily.'
- Even as you walk, please move with decorum 'just as you do ordinarily,' and observe proper courtesy 'just as you always do.' I, your headmaster, believe in all of you.
"..."
Huh?
- H-Headmaster? Are you serious about reading this? Twenty demerit points mean expulsion...
- The speaker is on, you fool!
Beeeeeeep.
- Ah, good afternoon. This is Student Council President Ian. The current time is 12:29. All students, please be in your lecture halls 'just as you ordinarily are' by thirty minutes before the start of class. That is all.
- Y-You absolutely must be in your lecture halls by thirty minutes before class! Any student identified wandering outside the lecture halls will be assessed twenty demerit points!
- If you're late, it's expulsion. Expulsioooon!
Aaaaah.
My chest... My chest...
It felt infuriatingly suffocating all over again.
"Eeeeeek! Run if you don't want to get expelled! One minute left, one minute until thirty minutes before class!"
"Goddammit! That fucking headmaster bastard! You senile old piece of shiiiiit!"
"Why do the high and mighty always have to come during our godforsaken lunch houuuur!"
Countless screams of students could be heard from beyond the windows. Among them were some who hadn't even gotten to touch their lunch.
Having witnessed that horrifying spectacle, Olivia buried her face in her hands.
'...Should I just leave him to get eaten by a devil?'
Not the innocent students.
Just the headmaster bastard alone.
He was going to die of old age soon anyway, so would that not be fine?
Olivia sighed deeply and checked the quest window.
[Imperial Academy - Halt the Devil Summoning Ritual]
- Objective : Eliminate the devil worshipers who have infiltrated the academy and stop the devil summoning ritual.
- Reward : A Gift from the Emperor, a Sacred Relic of the Central Diocese of the Church of Light.
Tomorrow, a devil would be summoned here.
The name of the summoned devil was Belphegor.
And that bastard specialized in Necromancy.
Since the academy naturally had no lost spirits or anything of the sort, the creature's abilities wouldn't be very effective.
But that was precisely why the devil worshipers had summoned Belphegor. Precisely because its abilities were restricted, paradoxically, they were able to summon a devil that strong.
If they had summoned a devil that could properly exercise its abilities in the academy, its grade would have been two tiers lower than Belphegor.
Anyway, in this 'devil summoning' event, two choices were given.
The first was eliminating the devil worshipers as stated in the quest. That way, neither Belphegor nor anything else would be summoned.
And the second was.
[Exterminate the Devil - HIDDEN]
- Description: Demon worshippers have finally succeeded in summoning a demon. Defeat the demon.
- Reward : Upon exterminating the devil, increase Favorability of one accompanying party member by 20.
To just leave it alone until the devil was summoned.
Each had its pros and cons. Going by the first method, you could receive praise from the emperor and the archbishop, get the reward, and squeeze out all sorts of things.
Fundamentally, since the empire and the Holy Kingdom both regarded demons as their principal enemies, they could not give a stingy reward. Doing so would be an act of damaging their own honor.
And going by the second method, in exchange for all those rewards, the Favorability of one NPC you fought alongside would rise by 20.
So that meant...
"Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
"Am I not even allowed to look at you?"
"It's not that, but..."
Honestly, on the Genocide Route, this was unquestionably option two. The rewards offered by the Emperor or the Archbishop were valuable, but not valuable enough to make the Sword Saint hesitate.
- It couldn't be helped. This time around, 'you' absolutely refused to yield.
The Olivia of the Genocide Run must have come to the academy with Kiel for the same reason.
[Kiel Rothschild]
- Level: 93
- Class : Sword Saint
- Favorability: 63(+68)
Because Kiel's Favorability was still around the 60 mark.
...Wait.
'But what happens if I take this?'