Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Demon God Magram
Idnia and Headmaster Ludwig crossed the bridge made of force and arrived at the Necromancy Research Wing.
“Hmm, it feels like a hospital.”
Idnia looked around the research wing, which resembled a hospital, and was amazed.
The smell of disinfectant and preservatives filled the air. There were numerous wards and laboratories, some rooms still lit, where assistants and graduate students seemed to be working tirelessly day and night.
Even in her massive Tyrant form, Idnia moved through the corridor almost like teleportation, slipping past swiftly without being noticed.
“There’s an infirmary ward on the first floor. They should be there. The Crown Prince and your roommate, the saintess.”
“Ah, thank you for telling me.”
Idnia headed toward the first floor.
Ludwig smirked as he watched Idnia’s footsteps, silent despite her enormous form.
“Quite skillful, Idnia.”
“Ah.”
At that moment, Idnia stopped, forcing Ludwig to halt behind her.
“What is it? Ah.”
On a bench in the corridor outside a first-floor ward, two girls were asleep.
Isolde and Mari were sitting side by side, dozing.
“So they were sleeping here. They must have come because they were worried about the Crown Prince. But why…?”
“Sadia’s doing, most likely. She’s the type who enjoys pairing men and women of different statuses. When girls of lower status insisted on staying despite the risk of penalty points, worried about the Crown Prince, she probably pretended to relent and let them come along.”
“Come to think of it, what about Rudolf’s condition?”
“I won’t tell you that much. You should investigate it your—”
“It was placed on Rudolf’s body by Emperor Franz, wasn’t it? He fears the academy but also wants to possess it, so he likely sealed detection magic into his son’s body to assess the academy’s defenses.
No matter how skilled the academy professors are, they wouldn’t thoroughly examine the Crown Prince’s body.”
At Idnia’s words, Ludwig fell silent.
“What?”
“No, you’re more capable than I expected, Idnia.”
“Well.”
I already obtained that information through the game. But Idnia couldn’t say that aloud.
At that moment, a whistling sound came from somewhere.
Amazingly, it was a melody from Awakening Girl Concert’s OST.
“T-this is?!”
“Magram.”
Ludwig clicked his tongue.
Rudolf woke from his sleep.
He had suffered energy drain, but his body wasn’t seriously injured.
Yet his heart ached.
“Why did I have such a dream?”
Rudolf shuddered as he recalled the image of his father, Franz.
The gaze Franz had in the dream was utterly cold.
Like the eyes of a craftsman looking at pottery fresh from the kiln.
A chilling gaze, as if he could shatter it at any moment with the hammer in his hand.
And that was the same coldness Rudolf had always felt from him.
His father never truly looked at him.
Even so, Rudolf respected and loved him.
To make him Crown Prince rather than just a prince-elector’s son, Franz had given up vast wealth and privileges of the Kaliestre family.
Rudolf wanted to believe that sacrifice was proof of his father’s love.
But Franz had rarely interacted with him.
The one who raised him was Lady Polzen, and the one who grew up by his side was Isolde.
“Ugh….”
For the first time, the Crown Prince, loved by all, trembled at the destructive emotions rising within him.
“Where am I?”
Looking around, he saw rows of beds like a field hospital, yet everything was silent.
He could hear breathing.
“……”
Following the sound, Rudolf found two girls sitting in the corridor outside the ward.
Isolde and Mari were leaning against the wall, asleep.
He took out a pocket watch from his coat.
It was 11 p.m., the time when dorm lights were out.
“Mm. Ah?! Brother?!”
“Your Highness?!”
Isolde and Mari woke up.
“You were waiting? Isolde, Mari.”
“Ah, yes. Your Highness. I apologize. I dared to harm your sacred body. Please punish me.”
“No, you did nothing wrong, Miss Mari. I was the problem. Ah… but what exactly happened?”
“Well, that is….”
“According to Professor Sadia, a powerful magic had been placed on Your Highness. When I cast my spell, I injected too much mana, which burned and revealed the engraved mana circuits.”
Mari explained honestly.
“So without my knowledge, the Empire placed magic on my body? I didn’t even know… ha, I wonder whether I am truly the Crown Prince or just a puppet.”
Even as he spoke, Rudolf felt miserable.
Whatever that magic was, his father had left something so powerful inside him without saying a word.
Until now, Rudolf believed his father loved him because of the sacrifices he made to secure his position as Crown Prince.
But this… shattered that belief at its core.
Could he trust his father?
Could he even trust himself?
Those doubts arose.
“The professor said the dangerous magic has been removed for now, but it’s best if you rest here today. A barrier has been set up, so it’s safe.”
“Safe? Safe from what?”
“Brother.”
Isolde’s heart ached seeing Rudolf so distressed.
She knew better than anyone how much he had struggled to earn his father’s recognition.
Yet today’s magical incident proved that an enormous amount of mana had been bound within his body.
It was as if his death had been considered acceptable.
No… had his life even been valued?
The magic contained a terrifying force that disregarded his safety.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. My carelessness caused harm to your body.”
Seeing his sorrow, Mari blamed herself even more.
“No, Miss Mari. This isn’t your fault. It’s just…
I don’t know.
Perhaps it would have been better if I had never been born.”
Rudolf clicked his tongue after saying that.
Such words were unbecoming of a Crown Prince meant to be loved by all.
But sometimes, true feelings burst out like a spike tearing through the heart.
At that moment, shimmering particles of light drifted between them.
“Huh?”
“Ugh?!”
Isolde and Mari blinked.
“Isolde?! Miss Mari?!”
As Rudolf panicked, both girls collapsed, losing consciousness to a spell.
Sparkling mana flames swirled around them, stealing their awareness.
Rudolf caught them as they fell.
“Isolde! Miss Mari! Are you alright? What is this?”
A whistling and humming echoed from somewhere.
A strange melody.
“Have you awakened, Crown Prince?”
Startled, Rudolf turned his head.
From the far end of the corridor, a faint flame floated.
It flickered, taking the form of a beautiful woman made entirely of fire.
She wore a veil over her head, carried a crescent blade at her waist, and her entire body burned with flame.
In her hand was an oil lamp, from which fire and smoke flowed, sustaining her form.
“Professor Magram?”
“Yes, it is Magram.”
Her eyes shone with an eerie light.
“Those two students. I told them to return to their dorms, but they refused and insisted on staying to protect you.
Admirable, but they will both receive penalty points.
So please remember their sacrifice, Your Highness.”
“What is going on? What is this?”
“Ah, you’re curious, aren’t you? I shall tell you—”
But then another voice spoke from behind Rudolf.
“Do not listen.”
Succubus Queen Sadia had appeared.
“This incident occurred in my class, so he is under my responsibility.
Leave, Magram.
Whatever you intend, I cannot allow it now.”
“How harsh, Sadia. The Crown Prince would surely want to know why he suddenly experienced such a surge of mana.”
Rudolf flinched at those words.
“Crown Prince, it is because you possess immense potential.”
Sadia answered to ease his doubts.
But Magram deepened them.
“Ha ha. Indeed, immense potential. But why would a human possess such a thing? The Kaliestre family has long desired to obtain Dunais Academy by any means… and now even using their own child….”
“Silence, Magram.”
Sadia’s nails extended sharply, and black wings spread from her back.
“Oh my, Sadia. Are you suggesting we fight? Very well. How many years has it been?”
Flames erupted from Magram’s body as her eyes gleamed.
“Ah….”
Rudolf collapsed in terror at the sight of Magram.
The moment their eyes met, he saw a black sun.
A black sun rising high in the sky… burning, yet instead of giving light, it devoured human souls.
The Demon God of “Wish.”
He had glimpsed a fragment of its true nature.
At that moment, someone stepped in front of him.
“Protection!”
Amid the killing intent of the two professors, a humble low-tier protection spell activated.
Amazingly, Mari of Astraea had regained consciousness from Magram’s magic and cast Protection and a shield, standing before Rudolf.
“Miss Mari.”
“Lord Rudolf. I may be an ignorant country girl, but I know one thing. You must never listen to those who try to control you with knowledge!”
Mari stood against Magram’s pressure to protect Rudolf.
Even the heat radiating from Magram’s body caused sweat to pour down her face, yet she placed herself as a shield for him.
Watching this, Magram smirked.
“I do not wish to kill a student. But if you throw yourself into my flames, then it cannot be helped.”
At that moment—
“Shield!”
Someone cast a shield spell and immediately modified it.
“Form Shift!”
The shield changed shape into a compressed disc and was thrown.
Magram scoffed.
Such a low-level spell!
Moreover, she already knew Ludwig and another had arrived.
Ludwig isn’t the type to interfere when students are racking up penalty points. But it seems the one beside him, student Idnia, couldn’t hold back.
Ah… how heartwarming, such strong camaraderie among students.
Without much thought, Magram raised her hand and blocked Idnia’s transformed mana disc.
But suddenly, her expression changed.
What?
Its speed was tremendous. Its force overwhelming.
What…?
Magram’s arm was severed, and the disc struck her face.
Boom!
The mana shield exploded, flames surging through the corridor.