Chapter 253
Chapter 253
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 253
>Chapter Title: ……Five Is a Bit Much
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An old saying goes that enemies meet on a log bridge.
They say the log bridge was a meeting place for people in ancient times, but for me, wasn't the academy just that?
‘Following Prezen, now even Decullan's Young Patriarch.’
In my past life, the Young Patriarch had turned to forbidden magic to make up for his lacking talent, and to grow his power, he'd drained the life force from my comrades, leading them to their deaths.
Not only Lucifer, but every Single Number except me.
And while they might not exactly count as comrades, a bunch of Numbered Troubleshooters and even civilians.
In a way, he was the one responsible for saddling me with a wyvern, so facing that same figure right in front of me again stirred up all sorts of thoughts……
[Me? Friend, you called? Me?]
‘……No, not you.’
[Other wyvern exist?]
……None, man.
I tossed a moonlight stone from my pocket to quiet the glaring wyvern and sank back into thought.
Honestly, I could've cut Prezen down without a second thought.
There wasn't the slightest hesitation when it came to killing him.
But why was it……
‘Now…… it's different.’
Probably because my mental discipline had deepened even further after Prezen.
If I had to pinpoint the trigger, it'd be No. 17 and the former Troubleshooters.
Back then, I'd said it to Shine.
- Let me ask instead. Is it right to take a life just because someone might commit evil?
That was sincere.
So, if I applied that logic to Decullan's Young Patriarch, Salier, then……
‘Is it right to kill him for the crimes he committed in my past life?’
Back then, it wouldn't have been worth agonizing over.
But after washing away my fear of Decullan and facing my own heart squarely, my feelings ended up in this ambiguous spot.
……Still.
The dark, damp basement of Decullan's Young Patriarch's quarters.
The musty mold smell brushing my nose.
That day's memories were vivid.
My comrades, faces twisted in agony, hands stretched toward the door as they withered away to nothing, and the rough, brittle feel of their desiccated bodies was crystal clear.
The flames of rage ignited that day hadn't died out yet.
‘……Why?’
Was hesitation rising in my heart?
“…….”
Frustrated, I pushed open the dorm door and wandered the second-year grounds' garden.
It was before lights-out, so plenty of students milled about, but amid them, I stood alone under a streetlamp, lost in thought.
The moon hanging in the sky was sharp.
But not clear.
Gazing at the moon emitting a demonic glow mixed with blood-red light, I didn't stop the thoughts burrowing deep into my core.
Every time that eerie moon hid itself in drifting clouds, my killing intent softened, only to blaze fiercely again when the red light reemerged.
Wavering like that in my killing intent, I realized Salier was an existence piercing through my current life's path.
Why?
Because if I forgave his evil deeds just because they were from my past life, it would be no different from denying my present self.
Thinking about it……
‘……Decullan in this life hasn't sinned against me yet either.’
Not sure about right now, but right after regression, that was definitely true.
But what had I done?
I'd set my sights on the tower as the big goal, but I hadn't hesitated at all about revenge on Decullan.
And that revenge was still in progress.
So, was it right not to take revenge on Decullan?
Not an easy answer.
Alright, say taking revenge on Salier for past crimes was right.
Then that would deny the me who granted freedom to No. 17 and the former Troubleshooters.
When my thoughts reached that point.
A hollow laugh slipped from my lips.
“The ways of the world, huh.”
After reaching transcendence and completely purging my fear of Decullan with Shine's help.
I'd thought I'd become a sage.
But apparently not.
Seeing my heart waver like this, even the mental realm of transcendence apparently couldn't grasp everything.
I went to the second-year dorm cafeteria, bought a cup of coffee, and sat on a nearby bench to brood.
Someone approached me around the time I'd drunk half.
“Friend, what're you doing?”
“Kwak, hiding your presence again?”
Had this guy gotten hooked on concealing his aura?
But this time, I'd noticed in advance.
If I had to put it precisely, I'd upgraded my Damian awareness.
“Weren't you back at the dorm? Why're you here again?”
“I'm New Prototype Damian 2. Two hours of study every day after dinner.”
“……Huh.”
I see.
New Prototype Damian 1 hadn't changed much, but Damian 2 was definitely an upgraded version.
He must've spotted me on his way back to the dorm after studying……
“But Evelyn said you're probably up to something dumb again. Told me to check.”
“…….”
Evelyn was the culprit?
Just like earlier, she'd seen me sitting there with a serious face and dispatched the Damian she'd run into by chance.
Felt like I was being treated like a live explosive; looked like Evelyn needed some mental training soon.
‘That clapping back then was a bit light, after all.’
Damian plopped down naturally beside me and glanced at my coffee.
“……Buy your own.”
“…….”
A brief eye contact.
“Fine, you handle it.”
“Good choice.”
He took a silver coin and headed to the cafeteria.
I watched him for a moment, then sank back into thought. I knew this kind of brooding was the start of a heart demon, but I had no way to shake it off.
Like that, facing the gentle breeze as I continued thinking, Damian returned with a drink piled high with whipped cream and sat beside me.
“……Change?”
“Errand fee.”
Blandoga's family education was highly suspect.
Anyway, Damian slurped the drink he'd bought with *my* money, propped his elbows on his knees, and leaned forward.
“What're you looking at?”
“Reflecting on myself.”
“Peering into the abyss, huh.”
“…….”
I fixed him with a cold stare.
Sensing danger, Damian refused to meet my blatant gaze.
Tsk, what was I even doing talking to a kid.
That's when Damian's voice came.
“They said if you're troubled, you should spill it.”
“It's not really trouble.”
It was trouble, but……
I figured telling Damian wouldn't mean much, but I ended up opening my mouth anyway.
It was that stifling.
“So, listen. It's not my story—it's a friend's.”
Damian tilted his head the whole time, wearing a utterly baffled expression, with no sign he'd grasped my tale properly.
But definitely……
‘……Talking it out does ease the mind.’
No solutions, but it felt like I was sorting my own thoughts.
Like that, facing the somehow chilly spring breeze, I calmly spilled an adapted version of my present and past lives to Damian.
After my story wrapped, it turned into mostly Damian asking and me answering.
When all the talk ended.
“Simple.”
“……?”
I glanced over at Damian's oddly clear voice.
Damian grinned brightly, innocently, like my dilemma was no issue at all.
“I know this. Learned it in philosophy at home. Issue of good and evil, right and wrong? Punish someone for something that hasn't happened?”
“Well…… roughly, but isn't it more complex than that?”
“Nah, simple.”
Damian said that and turned to take me in with his eyes. But why? Those pupils of unknowable depth.
Damian spoke.
“So what if it's bad? Being inconsistent's fine.”
“…….”
“You can't live purely good all the time. Don't know right from wrong? Just follow your heart, right? And……”
Damian paused, as if organizing his thoughts, then continued.
“The friend you mentioned can punish the bad guy anytime, yeah?”
“That…… yeah?”
“Then just watch. If you wanna punish right now, do it. If you're hesitating, watch. If hesitation doesn't fade, keep watching. When it fades, punish. And if it doesn't fade but you're still uneasy……”
“Uneasy?”
“Then just punish anyway.”
“…….”
I clamped my mouth shut.
His blunt answer punched through the blockage in my chest. Then, a breeze tickled my hair; as I smoothed it, I looked up at the sky.
But why?
‘……Clear.’
Just moments ago, it had been spilling that demonic red glow, but now the moon was clearer than ever.
So clear it made my heart ache.
That's when Damian's mouth opened again.
“Your friend seems to carry way too much baggage.”
So.
“Maybe your friend should tell him to set it down.”
“…….”
For some reason, my heart felt unburdened.
Yeah, if no certainty, put it on hold. Even if I keep delaying and never decide, if that eases my heart, then that's right.
If rage boils over later, I can smash his head then.
This was Damian's first lesson to me……
“But did your friend have friends?”
“……What?”
“Chenbi? Evelyn? Dalia……not a friend. Purion……yeah. Purion hates your friend. Know why?”
Damian then rambled on about his take on why Purion hated me.
I thought.
‘Purion, mental training session booked.’
Anyway.
Like that, the first day of the academy semester passed.
* * *
……The next day.
“……Pleased to meet you. I'm Salier von Decullan…… uh, from now on, please…… take care of me.”
Pale complexion, posture somehow cowed.
Salier looked nothing like the figure in my memories, and the wyvern's insight confirmed it.
[Good-natured, heart pure.]
“…….”
[Friend bad. Hear……]
‘One moonlight stone confiscated.’
[Friend I mentioned, Damian.]
Ever seen a spirit enslaved by capitalism?
That's the wyvern.
Anyway.
I quietly took in Salier as he slunk to an empty seat. And I put the decision on hold.
‘Someday……’
The day my heart's qualms vanish, I'll crush that head.
For now, I shoved Salier out of my concerns.
The moment another heart demon peeled away.
……Like that, my peaceful second-year life continued.
‘And what's this guy?’
At the sudden summons, I donned my mask and headed to Parun's new lab inside the academy.
“You're early. Like you knew I'd be in the lab.”
His oddly on-point jab made me flinch, but I played it off.
“Well…… it's academy hours now, right?”
“Hmm. And you've grown a bit taller, come to think.”
“Oh, really?”
I perked up at that, but Parun's eyes cooled. Like he was looking at something pathetic.
“If you're hiding your identity, hide it properly.”
“……What're you on about.”
Had he figured out I was a student?
“Ahem. Anyway, why'd you call? Infinite Chain issue?”
“No, something else.”
“Hold on.”
I stopped Parun as he opened his mouth and manifested the wyvern.
“Wyvern, fly.”
[…….]
“Two moonlight stones.”
[I fly. Good, I fly there.]
Once ready, I turned to Parun.
“Alright, spill.”
With the wyvern happily flying, whatever came out of Parun's mouth had to be good news.
No, it *had* to be.
Leaning in to listen.
“You said you needed land to build the magic tower? Shamelessly wanting it for free, no money down.”
“Yeah……?”
“Found a way.”
I glanced up at the wyvern.
You, three moonlight stones.
No, four wouldn't sting.
……Five was a bit much.