Chapter 71
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Pioneer
In the forest between the central and northern regions, where cold raindrops fell steadily, two men cloaked in mantles met in a place devoid of any signs of life.
One of them was Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel, the alchemy instructor at Luisnes Academy.
He peeked his face out from beneath his brown mantle and cast a light glance downward.
"It's been a while, Master Albus."
Unlike his round, innocent-looking face, it was covered in countless scars.
"Yes, have you been well? Von Haeckel."
Albus pulled back his white mantle and gently stroked the head of the snake coiled around his neck as he replied.
"Yes. Von Haeckel... It's been ages since I've heard that name."
"Ah—my apologies, Philipp. Seeing you after so long, I slipped and used your old name."
"It's fine. There are hardly any who remember it anyway."
Philipp scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. Just from their expressions, it was clear they shared a warm mentor-disciple bond.
After the greetings, Albus skipped the explanations and got straight to the point.
"Philipp, it seems it's time for you to return to me."
"Already?"
"The plan has changed. I can't leave you here any longer."
"May I ask why?"
"...My master suffered a great misfortune at the hands of the Strange family."
"The Strange family?"
"Yes."
Albus clasped his hands together, condensed mana, then spread his palms wide and extended his arms.
Shiiiik—
The mana unfurled broadly, revealing the events that had befallen Monestier.
It began with his encounter with the youngest of the Strange family. It then swiftly showed what he had attempted and the incidents he faced up until his death.
Of course, it wasn't everything—just enough for Philipp to grasp the current state of affairs.
Seeing the hatchling's death at the end, Philipp swallowed hard.
"Th-then, that Berddin kid who killed Baron Moncl... he's the youngest of the Strange family?"
"That's right."
Philipp couldn't believe it.
Monestier was a powerhouse even greater than his own master.
Not only had he been subdued by one of the few called Swordmasters, but even after becoming the chosen one and receiving the apostle's power, he met such a miserable end.
Albus pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to Philipp.
"Leave this paper in Luisnes and come. Your mission there is now complete."
"Just leave it there?"
"Yes. Once it's done, you'll return to the Papal Palace with me."
"...Do I need to know what this is?"
"No need. Just place it in your room at the academy. Better yet, deliver it to someone bearing the Strange name."
"Someone with the Strange name... Does that mean it doesn't have to be Berddin?"
"Exactly."
Philipp rolled his eyes thoughtfully.
"Then I do have a way to deliver it."
"Oh?"
"Yes, since I'm an instructor here, calling in one or two students is no big deal."
"Even three?"
"...If you mean the three Strange brothers, that's entirely possible. They say if you call one, all three show up anyway."
"Then let's do it that way. Since you're not returning to the academy anyway, better to cut ties with them completely."
Albus unwound the snake from his neck and handed it to Philipp.
"Let's turn the entire academy upside down this time. The higher-ups have agreed to take responsibility anyway."
"The higher-ups?"
"Yes, so don't worry and carry out the mission."
Tony, Jony, Rony.
The three Strange brothers headed to Philipp's office within the academy.
Unlike other instructors' offices adorned with family crests or flashy decorations for authority, this one was just a hole shaped like a mud cave.
"Bro... Doesn't this seem too dangerous for us to go in alone?"
Jony stepped back with a frightened expression.
"Y-yeah! Let's just tell Philipp to come find us at dawn. You've heard the rumors too, right? How creepy that alchemy instructor is!"
"Right. I heard he used to experiment on academy students back in the day. Now that he can't, he catches forest animals and does bizarre things to them..."
Tony shook his head firmly.
"What nonsense is that? How could he do that inside the academy? Don't talk rubbish and follow me."
He led the way, beckoning his two younger brothers.
Jony and Rony followed with displeased looks.
Arriving at the end of the cave-like hole, the three stared rigidly at the door to Philipp's office.
The killing intent leaking from inside made even the bold Tony hesitate for a moment.
"He calls students and then emits this kind of killing intent?"
Tony clenched his fist in frustration.
Jony and Rony flanked him and whispered.
"Maybe he means for us to come back tomorrow?"
"Yeah, otherwise it's like a declaration of war, saying he wants to fight us."
As they hesitated to enter,
Kkiiik—
The door opened on its own, and a soft voice came from within.
"Come in, everyone."
Thud thud thud thud!
Heavy footsteps echoed through the academy corridors, which should have been quiet deep into the night.
"Th-this is insane!"
Rony ran screaming, his entire body drenched in blood.
The place he arrived at full speed wasn't another instructor or the guards—it was Berddin's room.
Bang bang bang!
He pounded on the door three times with his fist.
"Berddin!!"
Then he flung the door open and shouted.
"Big trouble!"
Berddin jolted awake from his bed in surprise.
Seeing the sudden situation and Rony's wretched state, he immediately grabbed his gear.
"What happened?"
"B-Berddin. Big trouble!"
"I said, what is it?"
"T-Tony bro got eaten by Philipp!"
What the hell does that mean? Tony suddenly got eaten by Philipp?
Philipp is the alchemy instructor here, and Tony has no connection to him whatsoever.
As someone who knows both, this situation makes no sense.
Berddin thought that as he followed Rony to the scene.
"So you're saying Philipp suddenly turned into a giant monkey and ate Tony bro?"
"Yes! We three even used our Guardian Spirits to hold it off, but swords and aura didn't work at all!"
"Swords and aura?"
"Yeah!"
"Did the monkey use aura by any chance? Or mana?"
At Berddin's question, Rony rolled his eyes.
"Uh... I don't know? I was panicking and just ran."
"What about Jony bro?"
"He's still in Philipp's room. He said he'd buy time, so I should get you."
"The guards?"
"Where are guards inside the academy? You're the closest and stronger than them, so that's why I came!"
Jony and Rony's judgment was spot on.
The other instructors were too far, and calling guards meant going outside the academy—time was too short for that.
"Bro."
"Yeah?"
"Is Instructor 'Veratir' currently in the academy?"
This life isn't the same as his previous one.
People he knew might not be here, or might not even exist in this world.
"Ah! That mad dog?"
He's here.
"Yes."
"He is."
"Then bro, go find Instructor Veratir and inform him. I'll head straight to rescue Tony bro."
Rony hesitated a moment, then nodded vigorously.
"O-okay. But why that mad dog?"
"If Philipp really ate Tony bro—or tried to kill him—I can't handle this alone. He's an instructor here in Luisnes, and I'm just an outsider with no ties."
"No other instructor?"
"No."
The other instructors were likely connected to Philipp without Berddin knowing.
With the plan set, they split at the fork, thumbs up to each other.
What the hell is going on?
I still couldn't make sense of it even after hearing Rony's explanation.
Even as I ran toward Philipp's room to investigate.
'Philipp ate Tony?'
And an alchemist suddenly turning into a monkey?
He does grotesque experiments, but not on his own body.
His moniker, the Abyss Doctor, is 'Black Mountain Snail'.
Known for capturing and modifying monsters and animals near the academy precisely because he knows the risks, win or lose. So why would he experiment on himself this time?
This is either Rony's mistake or Philipp's rampage.
'Or.'
Albus moved faster than I predicted.
'Whatever. It doesn't matter.'
I have the power to stop whatever they're doing now.
This isn't arrogance or hubris. On this continent, those stronger than me can be counted on one hand.
I've faced most of the famed powerhouses in my previous life.
Before reaching Philipp's office, I considered every possible scenario that could unfold here.
And soon reached a conclusion.
'Kill him.'
In this life, there's no need to recruit him as an ally.
Better to erase him than leave him as an enemy.
That was my judgment.
And shortly after arriving at his room.
Thud thud thud.
I realized I couldn't carry it out.
"...Philipp?"
This isn't it, you damn idiot Rony.
"Grrrrowl!"
A monster emitting unimaginably powerful aura from its entire body.
It's definitely not Philipp since it uses aura, not mana.
But its energy was on par with the hatchling—or Apostle Monestier—I fought recently.
'Some modified creature I don't know about?'
Something I never saw in my previous life.
"Damn it."
Boom!
The monkey's fist punched through the wall and struck my body.