Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Mutation (2)
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“...That thing, didn’t you call it the Great Mother of the Sea or something?”
Dean Shea spoke from his office in a voice full of disbelief.
He was referring to Blackie, who was currently perched on Carlyle’s lap, flailing its limbs playfully.
Carlyle had come to ask if it was okay to keep Blackie in the academy now that it had transformed like this.
“Anyone who sees you two would think you’re father and daughter.”
“It might look that way, but its true form is that massive magical beast you saw yourself, Dean. You know that, right?”
“I know, but the fact that a beast which spawned that many offspring looks like this...”
As he said that, the dean’s gaze toward Carlyle was utterly distrustful.
...No, it went beyond mere distrust—it was the look of someone eyeing a creature about to cause an accident in the near future.
“I didn’t order it to look like this.”
“...Sure, let’s go with that.”
“It’s not ‘let’s go with that,’ it really isn’t—argh, damn it.”
A ridiculous false accusation brought on a pounding headache.
As Carlyle let out a groan laced with profanity, Blackie froze on his lap and stared up at him intently.
It probably didn’t understand the words, but it clearly picked up on the negative nuance in his tone.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. No big deal.”
Carlyle soothed it with a smile, and Blackie beamed right back, wrapping its little arms tightly around his waist.
Shea chuckled as he watched Blackie rub its cheek against Carlyle with all its might.
“Its intelligence is definitely far sharper than its appearance suggests. Its behavior is straight out of a toddler’s playbook, though.”
It really was.
Its body resembled a child’s, but its perceptiveness and reactions were anything but childish.
As a magical beast, it didn’t understand a single human word, yet it grasped the context through sheer intuition alone.
“Well, just because a magical beast takes human form doesn’t mean it instantly adopts all our habits.”
In other words, being smart didn’t make it act like an adult human.
Separate from its intelligence, it didn’t seem to care much about how others perceived its actions...
‘...’
[Why the sudden deep thought?]
‘Isn’t this totally the Hero?’
It really was.
[What?]
‘It picks up on everything around it but couldn’t care less and just does whatever it wants.’
[...]
Even the holy sword fell silent, unable to deny it.
But unlike the Hero, this one’s behavior stemmed purely from affection toward Carlyle—it was a complete reverse.
[...I’m the one who saved it, though.]
‘Seems like it thinks I did.’
That must be why it ended up like this.
It followed him around like he was the center of its world, always clinging to him.
“Well, as long as it obeys you that well, it should be fine.”
Carlyle scratched his cheek at the dean’s words.
...Déjà vu.
Hadn’t it been the same with Panhima?
“You want me to keep it with me?”
“You’re the one raising it, aren’t you?”
“That’s true, but...”
Wasn’t it too casual to suggest keeping a catastrophe-level magical beast inside the academy?
Who knew what could happen?
He’d subdued it relatively easily before, but at its core, it was a monster capable of toppling a nation if it rampaged.
“You’re the eye of the storm anyway. Trouble always brews around wherever you are.”
“I’m not the type to go around causing incidents on purpose.”
“That’s not something the guy who personally ripped that thing off the prince’s lap should say.”
“...”
...Hmm.
Fair point.
Carlyle’s track record was far too eventful to claim he was just an ordinary person who avoided trouble.
“What has His Highness Bisels been up to lately?”
“You think he can go wandering around outside looking like that?”
The dean scratched his cheek as he replied.
“He’s just working inside the academy.”
“...”
“Princess Ilia, was it? I’ve assigned him to assist her. They’re both imperial family, so it’s a good chance to build some rapport.”
What nonsense was this?
“...Imperial family working inside the academy?”
“She’s just an unidentified woman right now. Can’t have her freeloading off someone who’s not even nobility.”
“...”
“Those who don’t work, don’t eat. Wise words.”
“...”
Every time they met, it struck him anew: this man was pretty insane himself.
“Oh, and speaking of imperial family...”
“Yes?”
“Let’s ramp up the intensity of our lessons—you and me. We’ve been doing it once a week; let’s make it two or three times.”
“I don’t mind, but why?”
“You got summons from both the 1st Prince and 2nd Princess, right?”
“...”
Yeah, that happened.
He vividly remembered being shocked at how bizarrely normal they’d acted.
“According to the Gray Cardinal, you’re starting to tangle with the ‘Black Lion’ too. Mess up, and you might even catch the Emperor’s eye.”
“...Yes.”
He’d heard that.
The mastermind behind snatching the materials to turn Blackie human had been the Black Lion.
1st Prince, 2nd Princess, Black Lion... and the Emperor connected to them.
Every major player in the imperial palace was entangled with Carlyle in some way.
Which meant, circumstantially...
-System Log
▶ Access to ‘Imperial Family’ information unlocked.
▶ High chance of contact with ‘Demon’-related factions!
-System Log
▶ The ‘Imperial Family’ views you warily.
▶ Probability of contact with ‘Noble Demons’ greatly increased!
...The odds of encountering the brimstone inside the imperial palace had risen.
In some form or another.
Demons were lurking there.
Not mere underlings, but true heavyweights—the ‘nobility.’
“No matter what, it looks like you’ll be stepping over the imperial palace threshold soon. Everyone inside wants you.”
The dean grinned as he continued.
“The day you get dragged into the empire’s worst den of chaos isn’t far off, student.”
“...”
“So, to build up your strength by then, we’re increasing the lessons.”
The dean propped his chin up with a smirk.
“Like I said earlier, you seem like the eye of the storm.”
“...”
It clearly wasn’t something Carlyle wanted to hear.
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...And sure enough.
The dean had good reason to say that.
Just look at the incident Carlyle got caught up in that very day.
It was afternoon, as he left the dean’s office and crossed Cradle’s grounds.
“P-Puha-!”
Blackie let out an excited squeal, rubbing Carlyle’s cheek with its hand.
“...Hmph.”
Gray watched quietly, letting out a soft snort.
Her gaze was fixed in dissatisfaction on Blackie, who was riding on Carlyle’s shoulders the whole time.
“You planning to walk around like that forever?”
“The kid won’t let go, Lady. I can’t help it.”
He said that while gently petting Blackie’s head.
It purred like a cat.
“...It really acts like an animal. Mind if I try?”
Gray reached out toward Blackie as she spoke.
“----!!”
But Blackie’s eyes turned fierce in an instant, baring its teeth at her.
As if it might bite her hand.
The complete opposite of the docile act it put on around Carlyle.
“This thing’s asking to die.”
“...”
Of course, Gray’s ferocious glare in response was far more intimidating, but still.
“It’s not just with you, Lady. It does this to everyone except me.”
It growled at anyone who approached, so Carlyle had spent a lot of time soothing it.
If a catastrophe-level magical beast decided to chomp down, the fallout wouldn’t be minor.
“...Well, we’ll need to socialize it a bit.”
He’d originally planned to communicate with it to get info on demons, but it was useless if it couldn’t even speak.
It eagerly tagged along with whatever he did, so he figured he’d teach it human speech.
And while at it, teach it right from wrong, how to interact with people...
“...Feels just like raising a daughter.”
“Right? That’s what I think too.”
“Why do you seem so used to it?”
“I’ve got experience.”
[...Damn it.]
“...”
Why the curse? What’s this person’s deal?
Anyway, as those thoughts crossed his mind, Gray sighed.
“A catastrophe-level magical beast as a daughter. What a twisted fate.”
“...Tell me about it?”
“How do you keep attracting... all this? You got some pheromone that draws in weirdos or what?”
“Come on, don’t say silly things.”
Who in the world gets swept into problems everywhere they go?
See? He’d compressed that troublesome Blackie into this small size and was just working on socializing it. No issues for the time being.
The imperial family might be looking for him, but it wasn’t urgent enough to get sucked in right away.
This was the perfect chance to enjoy some precious downtime.
“Foun-d you-”
...Right.
A massive ‘organism’ that suddenly appeared in the skies above the academy.
“There you are, Carlyle Bellfast!”
The red ‘dragon’ flapping enormous wings dove straight toward him, shouting.
No matter how you sliced it, this made zero sense.
Every person in the academy stared in shock. Screams erupted here and there.
“You damn human—! I flew all the way from the other side of the continent searching for you—!”
“...”
“I’m Leona Libel, Lord of the Red Magic Tower! Get out here now! I’ve got a mountain of questions for you one-on-one!”
“...”
He felt Gray’s quiet gaze from beside him.
“Don’t say silly things, huh?”
“...”
“Who in the world gets swept into problems everywhere they go?”
...This was all the dean’s fault.
Anyway, that was that.
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