The Approaching Time of Choice
The bloodstone held the power to manipulate organic matter at will.
Even so, the reason Yekaterina preferred combat through blood rather than flesh or other tissues was simple: blood was a liquid, and thus the easiest substance to control. The force required to reshape or move a single kilogram of flesh could command hundreds of kilograms of blood with effortless precision.
Yet another trait had cemented her terrifying reputation on the battlefield. Once her unique ability was activated, any organic matter under its influence would, if left without further power, attempt to return to its original form—like shape-memory alloy. Wounds closed almost instantly. Enemies left for dead would rise again moments later. Rumors spread that she was a vampire straight out of legend.
The fact that she fought with blood only lent those whispers greater credibility, sending them flying on wings of their own.
I had fixed my attention on that very property.
Even the orca, apex predator of the seas, even humanity—self-proclaimed lords of all creation—and even the monsters locked in endless war against them all possessed flaws. But what if every living thing on this planet could be combined into a single, flawless organism free of every defect?
Modern genetic engineering had always slammed into the limits of technology. A unique ability, however—existing as a discipline utterly separate from science—might overcome them. I had believed that.
A being that maximized every natural selective fitness: born instantly, reproducing instantly, immortal, without natural enemies. The absolute pinnacle of evolution.
“...”
Right now I was only painfully aware of how impossible that still was.
I don’t know how strong the Demon King really is, but half-measures won’t be enough to face him.
I had no clear measure of the Demon King’s power. All I could do was extrapolate from the strength of the demonkin who occasionally appeared overseas.
Perhaps uniting every hero on Earth would make defeating him surprisingly easy. Yet the disasters those overseas demonkin had already caused painted a future that was nothing short of bleak.
Aside from the handful of S-class heroes in the world, even touching a demonkin was nearly impossible. The minimum force required merely to “respond” to them was set at five A-class heroes and one S-class. The demonkin said to have sparked the World War a century ago had demanded seven S-class heroes and dozens of A-class just to subdue. They had even used nuclear bombs for the first time—then brand-new superweapons—to bring it down. That said everything.
I’ll keep going for now. Even if the result isn’t what I hoped for, it’ll still be more than enough for dealing with monsters.
I was simply throwing every method I had at the problem, desperate to dodge the extinction that was already scheduled.
Rumble—
One kilometer beneath the Wittelsbach family estate, a faint tremor began in a corner of the earth far too deep for any living thing. The vibration swelled, carving out a vast cavern tens of meters across.
Crunch— crack—
Bizarre creatures gnawed through the rock, expanding their territory. In the breeding grounds at the cavern’s heart, more of their kind were born without pause.
Their purpose was singular: to inflict irreparable devastation upon Seoul, home of the Korean Hero Association.
“Kyaaaah! It’s vacation! Vacation!”
“You’re that happy about it?”
“Yeah! Where should we go this break? Don’t you want to take an overseas trip?”
“An overseas trip?”
“Exactly! Ah~ where to? It’s been ages—maybe Germany? We could visit Grandma and eat all the good stuff! I really want sausage again~”
“That’s all lovely, young miss, but didn’t the head of the house tell you to study math? Did he actually give permission?”
“Ah...”
Julia clapped a hand to her forehead as if the thought had never crossed her mind.
“C-couldn’t we just sneak off?”
“How do you sneak off on an overseas trip...”
“Ugh... I don’t wanna study...”
“In a few months you’ll have the academy entrance exam. Even if you coast through the practicals, you still have to clear the cutoff...”
“I-I can clear the cutoff, okay?! What do you take me for?!”
A talking slug, maybe...
“F-fine! Just hurry home already!”
I watched Julia’s back as she ignored me and dashed toward the house, then let out a quiet sigh.
When is the young miss ever going to grow up...
No matter how I looked at it, she seemed destined to stay a six-year-old forever.
Hm? A text...
The message that arrived made my expression slowly harden.
Tap here for details...
The debt I still owed was roughly ten million won.
By the time vacation ended, I would be free—and I would have to leave the Wittelsbach household.
“I’m home!”
“Good work today. Seo-hyun’s back too.”
“Yes. Should I start preparing the meal right away?”
“No, rest a bit longer. School just let out. Oh, by the way—the head maid was looking for you.”
“Lady Isabella?”
Even though she had long passed middle age and retirement was drawing near, Isabella remained the true power of this household. In the midst of everything she still found time to teach me.
“Where is she... no, she’s probably in the break room. I’ll go right away.”
“Right away?”
“Yes. No harm in getting there early.”
And for some reason I felt she had called me today for something important.
I headed to the break room and knocked. Isabella’s voice answered from inside.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
The break room felt strangely empty. The other staff who normally used it had probably fled elsewhere to avoid her, so emptiness was only natural.
I sat down, and Isabella asked at once,
“Today was the closing ceremony, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Time really flew...”
“It did... Time moves so fast. I first saw you when you were about five... nearly ten years now?”
I nodded silently. Isabella fixed me with clear, steady eyes.
“Your debt is down to... about ten million, isn’t it?”
“...Yes.”
“You’ll have it paid off by the end of winter break. Have you thought about what you’ll do after the debt is gone?”
“Not really... I was thinking of working as an assist, maybe.”
Honestly, with the pile of certifications I already held and my existing awards, landing a job at a major corporation would be child’s play. Being a former slave and an unawakened unique-ability user might cost me a few points, but my record more than covered the gap.
Before that, I’ll probably prepare for the Sirius Academy entrance exam.
Sirius Academy accepted any student between seventeen and twenty-four who passed the entrance exam. Enrollees split into the Hero Department, Assist Department, General Department, and Military Department, taking whatever classes they wished. Each department alone rivaled a prestigious university in scale.
Even more astonishing was its location: it was not fixed to any single land. Using the unique ability of its founding principal, the academy was a floating island that followed a set route, touring the entire world. That alone made it a spectacle.
The founder’s famous remark—“With children gathering from every corner of the globe, what good would it do to stay in one place?”—still floated around the internet as legend.
“What about the academy?”
“I’ve set a little money aside. It should be enough.”
“I thought as much. I figured you’d have something hidden away.”
The head maid took a sip of the tea resting beside her desk.
“So you plan to leave the estate?”
“...To be honest, I haven’t decided for certain.”
At first I had intended to leave. The moment the debt was cleared I would be nothing more than an outsider; remaining any longer would be absurd. A slave contract was, by nature, a deal that cost the employer far more than it returned. Monthly payments ran into the millions, plus room and board, yet the work that could actually be demanded was limited—little different from a regular employee.
The only reason I had been hired at all was the hope that I might become a friend to Julia. Staying beyond that felt like an imposition.
Until I heard what was in her heart.
Even after the contract ends... I still want you to stay with me.
“...”
It wasn’t hard to understand why she had said it. She simply didn’t want to lose a friend.
But after hearing those words, leaving the estate had somehow become difficult.
“The head of the house said you may remain if you wish. Unlike before, he will guarantee you complete freedom, and in exchange for helping with household duties he has promised a proper salary.”
“...”
“At the very least, why not stay until you enter Sirius Academy? The academy has dormitories, so once you’re in you’ll have to leave the estate whether you like it or not.”
“...I’ll think about it.”
All I could offer for now were vague, uncertain answers.
Even so, Isabella seemed perfectly willing to wait. She stepped closer and drew me into a warm embrace.