The Day After the Hazy Full Moon
The next day after the hazy full moon, Ferzen headed to the academy with Euphemia and found himself receiving greetings from quite a few people right from early morning. Even those who had previously felt a sense of distance and intimidation from the name Ferzen written on his nameplate now knocked persistently, pushing past their reluctance. The reason was simple.
They wanted Ferzen, an Apollyon-rank black mage, to open the third layer of the Netherworld and broker a deal for them. Beyond the information each family held about the monsters on that layer, the universally known ones that could heal physical defects or wounds represented the sole hope for those unburdened by lack of money. Even setting aside simple trauma—especially physical loss—diseases incurable by the current level of medicine in this world... yes, even cancer.
Though disease wasn't under those monsters' domain, if one had all the affected organs excised at once and restored through them, it could be perfectly cured.
"I'm tired..."
But Ferzen refused all such meetings. Partly to maintain scarcity, and partly to elevate his own value.
'Still, if I ever need quick cash in the future...'
He could rake in a fortune in a short time this way.
"I'm going to the restroom."
"Okay. Hurry back."
The visitors to the faculty office had all brought flower bouquets and potted plants as congratulations, so Euphemia smiled as she neatly arranged them inside the room. Did she know that if their placement ended up asymmetrical later, it would fall to her to fix it?
Click.
He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Just as he was about to enter the restroom, Ferzen ran into Uriel emerging from the women's restroom nearby.
"Congrats. I heard you advanced to Apollyon rank."
"Yes. I appreciate it. More importantly... did you leave home? The doctor visited yesterday, but there was no response, so he returned."
"I-I was sleeping."
Tracing the marks you left behind.
Unable to say that, Uriel stammered out a lie.
"I see."
That was the only thing he'd wanted to ask, so Ferzen moved to pass her indifferently. But Uriel grabbed his wrist.
For someone taller, it might not matter, but for shorter people, standing close to Ferzen revealed the kiss marks on his neck.
"Something to say?"
"..."
Uriel fell silent for a moment, her body still infused with his scent and the boiling emotions it carried. Had he gone home and vented that desire on his plain wife?
"Your tie... it's loose."
Reaching out, Uriel grasped Ferzen's loosened tie and tightened it. The collar then pressed close to his nape, concealing the evidence of last night's intimacy.
"...Thank you."
"Whatever."
With a curt response to Ferzen's lukewarm gratitude, Uriel walked past him without looking back and entered her own faculty office. She sat on the sofa, faced the mirror beside her, loosened her scarf, and slowly traced the red marks and bite impressions on her neck.
"You bastard..."
As expected, no kind words came to mind.
* * * * *
Having received the attendance sheet from Euphemia, Ferzen began the morning lecture and stepped to the blackboard, chalk in hand.
"There are many ways to motivate people, but the most reliable is to dangle a reward at the goal."
He tapped the blackboard with the chalk and glanced back.
"I assume some of you think there will be students coming to see me separately after 5 p.m., once all classes end."
A few students flinched quietly at his words.
"But that would be pointless, so stop it."
"..."
"I have no intention of opening the Netherworld's third layer and brokering deals for just anyone. However, at the end of this year's lectures—across both semesters—the student with the highest overall grade will earn the right to request that I open the third layer for their family."
The classroom buzzed with unrest at Ferzen's announcement.
"Professor."
"Speak."
"Isn't that... unfair?"
"What is?"
"I don't mean to feel superior or condemn those who care about grades, but... some people don't need to."
Ferzen didn't outright deny the student's point. Some used academy grades as a foundation for their future, while others saw them as mere extensions of social networking.
After all, hadn't Ferzen himself long seen through the fact that this academy was merely a symbol of imperial power, holding the scions of territories as hostages?
"At the very least, if you're going to motivate even those people... how about splitting it by semester?"
There were those who'd neglected the assignments he'd given. It would be too late for them to scramble now and catch up.
"I am a professor."
"..."
"Do you think it's wrong to offer better rewards to the more desperate students? Some nobles look at diligently striving commoners and think they'll never escape poverty anyway."
"That seems a bit off-topic."
"But it's true."
"..."
"Effort doesn't betray you, but your hoped-for goals and dreams might."
You might become 0.001% better than yesterday through effort, but still fail to achieve your aims countless times.
"That's why I just want those who strive diligently at things others dismiss as trivial to receive some solid reward."
Ferzen rolled up his sleeves and scanned the room briefly before fixing his gaze on Lizzy.
His words sounded flowery, but inwardly, he was simply trying to squeeze her once. Despite the time passed, she hadn't come to him—which meant she'd refused the request from the Magic Research Society.
So, what reaction would she show to this dangling goal? Would she stick to managing her grades as usual? Or would the harder she tried, the more it felt like writhing toward the mercy he'd offered, trapping her in a dilemma?
Ferzen von Schweig Brutein.
What he envisioned was akin to a haunted house. If she overcame the traps at every escape route and made it out, she'd conquer that trauma and become a black mage surpassing him. But if she buckled midway, screaming to be let out...
"Let's begin the lecture."
Putting aside his thoughts, Ferzen turned back.
* * * * *
"Up to now, my lectures have focused solely on people. But black mages can enslave not just humans—any corpse will do."
Lizzy bit her lip as she watched him continue. She vaguely grasped the meaning behind his opening words.
"So today... let's lecture on what are commonly called monsters' corpses. Some of you might find it odd—especially those holding bodies of elemental mages or Aura Knights."
'I won't yield...'
Even as she wanted to let Ferzen's voice flow past her ears, Lizzy forced herself to listen.
'I...'
Will bloom into a flower, feeding on you.
"But in wars or territorial battles of many against many, using monster corpses offers exceptional cost-performance. Why do you think that is?"
At Ferzen's question, Lizzy forced her mouth open.
"Low-intelligence animals... have limited behaviors, and even those are habitual, so a bit of feedback yields high execution rates."
"...Yes. Correct. Humans possess the most complex cognition among animals, making it nearly impossible to fully comprehend a lifetime. But monsters aren't like that."
The mercenary guilds assigned to each territory also sold detailed info on local monster habitats for a price. That alone would greatly boost comprehension.
"Beyond the cost-performance... pack monsters always have a leader."
"..."
"Kill and enslave that leader, and you can deploy the subordinates as forces in territorial wars or battles with simple commands—no need to kill them."
As Ferzen's explanation dragged on, time slipped by. The students in their integrated desk-chairs began slouching, but Lizzy, seated in her wheelchair at a regular desk, maintained her focus.
Thus, she etched his knowledge into her mind, clenching her slender hand into a tight fist.
'Someday...'
All the elements composing that arrogant, dogmatic man.
She wanted to dismantle them utterly, force his submission, make him lick the instep of her ruined left leg, and trample that face cloaked in hypocrisy.
"Lizzy Paul Liana Claudia."
Flinch!
"Are you sleeping?"
"N-No..."
Yet such resolve proved hollow—her body startled at the sound of her name from Ferzen's voice. Especially since that day, merely sharing space with him made her mangled left leg ache intermittently.
"Then lift your head."
"Y-Yes..."
Each time, Lizzy endlessly cursed her own powerlessness.
* * * * *
After the lecture ended, Ferzen approached Laura.
"Do you know?"
"Y-Yes..."
The terse words omitted much, but Laura understood easily. Today was June 4th. Even under overcast monsoon clouds, a hazy day.
"Then wait for me."
"Y-Yes..."
It was inexorably the night of the full moon.