Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Departure.
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Before returning to Luines Academy, I aligned my story with Veratis.
"No one knows why Academy Master Dirgof and Alchemy Instructor Philip went missing."
However, since we've found clues that could lead to them, Veratis will follow those to search.
"If we explain it this way, no one will suspect us."
Few people accurately grasped last night's events, and none of the instructors had been informed about the incident. As long as we fabricate the three idiot brothers' experiences well, covering it up won't be difficult.
Veratis nodded after hearing the full explanation.
"So, I just follow you to Legion?"
"No, you need to stay here and temporarily take over as Academy Master."
"Academy Master? Me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
I gazed at the lake where Dirgof had vanished and answered him.
"Didn't you say you wanted to fight my father?"
"...You're right."
"And you planned to use Luines Academy to create a pretext for his war."
Veratis scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"That's true too."
"Then think of it as proceeding with the original plan. Instead of using Dirgof to strike at Strange, you'll do it yourself."
This way, if things went wrong later, I could shift the blame to him.
And given how long he'd been preparing, the chances of the operation succeeding were much higher.
"Besides."
Even if it backfired and others learned he'd joined hands with me, no one would believe it. So, no matter how it turned out, it was a good opportunity for me.
"Got it."
"However, to gain the temporary authority as Academy Master, as I mentioned earlier, you need to personally meet all the instructors and explain the incident."
"That's easy. I'll just call a meeting and tell them all at once!"
"Not difficult, right?"
"If that's hard, I might as well die."
Veratis laughed heartily and threw an arm around my shoulder.
"By the way, aren't you curious if Philip's dead or alive?"
As if I weren't.
Not just Philip's whereabouts, but what that giant monkey I'd seen was. And who he'd allied with to pull this off. If Katarina was involved here too, what was her goal?
The questions weren't few.
"Why are you acting like a mute who ate honey? Don't you want to know where Philip went?"
His phrasing suggested he was alive.
"Will you tell me?"
"If you think of it as payment for your life, it's not impossible. Where to even start... Ah! I'll tell you from after I dealt with that monkey."
"You didn't meet him before that?"
"Philip? Of course not! Why would I meet a pathetic nerd who only does research?"
So they hadn't been working together from the start.
"Do you remember what I said in Philip's lab? That I'd handle it, so go back to your room and rest."
"I remember."
"Not long after you left, Philip suddenly crept out from behind the wardrobe."
"From the wardrobe in the lab?"
"Yeah, that's right."
That meant someone besides Jony had been in the room, yet why hadn't I sensed his presence this time either?
It couldn't be a lack of my ability. So the guy must have concealment skills rivaling an assassin's.
"Keep going. What happened after you met Philip?"
"What happened? Simple. I smashed him in the head with this fist. Asked what the hell a supposed instructor was up to."
"......"
"That monkey in his lab? He said it was his test subject. I don't know much about that stuff, so I just said okay. Anyway, I killed it..."
"No, Veratis. What I want to know is his whereabouts. Is he alive now? If so, where is he?"
Veratis frowned and replied.
"Don't interrupt! Listen to the end, and you'll know. Why so impatient?"
I mimed locking my lips and gestured for him to continue.
"Ha—fine! Alright, from the top. Uh... right, after the monkey disappeared, Philip came out from behind the wardrobe. He said if I kept it secret, he'd give me some fine liquor, so I said okay."
I let out an involuntary sigh.
Why were all the people connected to me such idiots? They seemed smart, but each had a screw loose somewhere. Sure, no one's perfect without being a god, but this was too much.
"And then?"
"So I said okay! Then he fetched some liquor from his lab, said he was leaving the academy for good and wouldn't return, and took off."
"Then what about the arm you showed me?"
"Oh, that. It was an elf arm he used as a test subject. I kept it out of boredom and used it right on cue. Wasn't planning to fool you from the start—it just fit perfectly. I have other parts too. Want to see? Got lower body parts."
Siegfried answered for me.
-Yeah, I wanna see!
I grimaced and waved him off.
"No."
"Too bad."
For now, I'd roughly pieced together what happened in the academy.
This incident was under Philip's direction, and whoever was behind him was targeting someone named "Strange"—not just me, but including the three brothers.
"It's not Katarina behind this."
I concluded.
"And."
Philip calling the monkey a test subject was obviously a lie to cover up.
It was probably an ability created by his backer, so investigating it should easily reveal why they targeted us.
"Good enough."
That was all I could do at the academy.
Time to head back to Legion.
Conveniently, today was the day I had to go.
I looked up at the sky.
Between the high sun, darkness was gradually welling up, bringing the night.
"Veratis, one week."
Shwaaaaa—
An island where storms and endless thunder poured down.
Kwarung!
A massive ship pierced through the darkness and dropped anchor on the beach.
Thud.
"...Before dawn breaks, bring me Roys's head."
As the black-haired old man raised his brush overhead,
hundreds of animals leaped from the ship.
Thud thud thud thud thud.
Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig.
These weren't mere animals; they walked on two legs like beastmen, armed in ways no different from humans.
"Pushed hard today, huh?"
Freddy, wrapped head to toe in bandages, stood beside the black-haired old man.
"Fail, and we die. One chance—it's not about effort; fight with everything you've got."
"Is Roys that strong? Wait, bad question. He's strong, sure—but can he handle all of us alone?"
"Strong enough to kill us all in one strike. If he can wield his true power, that is."
"Heh... I get why you're scared, but killing all three of us in one blow? That's nonsense. Don't overhype the enemy before the fight."
The black-haired old man snorted.
"Overhype? Haha... You'll see if it's true soon enough. Even sick, his power's on another level from ours."
"Another level?"
"You'll be shocked when you see it. I couldn't close my jaw the first time I faced him."
"...What the hell are you talking about?"
Bonnie, who'd been silent between them, ventriloquized with the girl dolls on her hands.
"I'm a scaredy-cat old man! Shaking in my boots over Roys!"
"I'm a fearless half-cripple! Underestimating without even meeting the guy!"
The black-haired old man and Freddy glared at her simultaneously.
The message was clear without words.
Had they not been on mission, she'd have heard curses she'd never heard before.
Bonnie ventriloquized the two dolls again.
"I'm all set, so let's start."
"Said we need to hurry, yet you're so leisurely."
The black-haired old man nodded emphatically in agreement, pointed at the tall castle beyond the forest, and shouted to the animal soldiers.
"Advance!"
The animal soldiers echoed back.
"Advance!"
"Advaaanace!!"
A mighty roar echoed across the island.
-Roooaaar!
Hundreds of soldiers charged full speed toward the castle.
Thud thud thud thud thud!!!
Tonight, they would claim the head of Strange Family Head, Roys.
With that sole determination, the four Omangseong members gathered at the top, staking their lives.
The nameless black-haired old man; the border count Freddy, wrapped in bandages; Bonnie, with girl dolls on both hands.
And finally, the golden-haired woman in a black nun's habit.
Step, step, step.
"...Shall we begin?"
Saintess Joanna Ark.
She, broken out of the Papal Vault's underground prison by Apostle Baphomet, had joined as the last of the Omangseong.
"We greet Saintess Joanna Ark!"
"We greet Saintess Joanna Ark!"
The knights on deck echoed in unison.
Not just them—the black-haired old man, Freddy, and Bonnie all turned toward her and knelt on one knee.
Thud.
This showed even among the Omangseong, there was hierarchy.
"Rise, all of you. I too am one who has escaped the flow of causality, no different from you."
Occasionally, beings escape the flow of causality in the world.
Where they were born and raised remains unknown.
They always emerge in history on the same cycle.
Today marked the birthdate recorded in the annals of history.
Of course, only one person on the continent knew this fact.
All who saw the records had died without exception.
Screeeee—
The sun turned black.
Darkness blanketed the entire continent.
So pitch-black not even a hand in front could be seen.
The senses numbed; nothing felt.
Time seemed stopped; all halted, awaiting light.
At last, the continental darkness passed, and brilliant light descended.
"...Is this what Berddin meant?"
Rox discovered an egg as large as himself in front of the tower.