An Assassination Foretold by the Princess
Youth-restoring magic. Now it made perfect sense why Nia Cynthia had come to Jerion Academy as an assistant professor of magic.
'If one can revert their age, then even adults can enter the Demon Palace.'
Only students who had not yet reached adulthood were permitted to enter the Demon Palace. Thus, even if the world claimed it had no other choice, it was still sacrificing children under the guise of a "noble mission" to protect itself from the Evil Zone.
Naturally, the world itself could not be entirely at ease with this reality. While outstanding individuals worthy of being called heroes were indeed born among the students, no one could predict how the tides of time would turn.
To the eyes of the old, the young always appeared endlessly fragile and in danger. No matter how much they respected the youth, they could never entirely mask the anxiety that crept in after delegating such burdens to them. Above all, adults bore responsibility. It was their duty and role to pave a proper path so that these children could step forward into a better society.
And so, the adults had agonized over how to deal with the Demon Palace. It was a painful truth, but even the current third-year class had already been branded with the stigma of being the "weakest generation." If the next generation, and the one after that, continued to fail due to a lack of talent, the Apostles would go unchecked, and they would eventually throw open the gates of the Demon Palace. The youth-restoring magic was conceived precisely to prevent such a catastrophe.
'They seem to have come up with the same concept as the Bandage of the Veil I used.'
Vikamon was originally a third-year student. By next year, he would no longer be allowed to enter the Demon Palace. However, the Bandage of the Veil solved this problem. The Bandage of the Veil was a unique item among unique items—a one-of-a-kind artifact forged through a Mystery. Anyone who wore it could transform into anything, which meant it was also capable of reverting one's physical age.
'If they use the Bandage of the Veil, anyone can enter the Demon Palace.'
This was a fact known only to the player. One might wonder why they couldn't simply wrap the empire's most promising knight commander in the Bandage of the Veil and send them into the Demon Palace. But if things were that simple, I wouldn't be going through all this trouble.
'Above all, Duke Robliaju would definitely pull some strings.'
Duke Robliaju had already allied himself with the Evil Zone. There was no way he would just sit back and watch. The knight commander would be assassinated somewhere along the way, and the Bandage of the Veil would be destroyed. Considering this alone, giving the Bandage of the Veil to a powerful master to clear the Demon Palace was an impossible plan.
'But a magic that restores youth is a different story.'
Since it was a magic actively researched by the world, even Duke Robliaju could do nothing to stop it. If it succeeded, they could send entire knight orders into the Demon Palace. For the empire, there was absolutely no reason not to research it.
Nia Cynthia was the one in charge of researching that magic, and he had achieved a certain level of success. It was clear he had come to the academy as a temporary assistant professor to test his findings.
'Then why didn't Nia ever come to the academy in the game routes I usually played?'
He should have come to test it in those routes as well. Why did he never show up, only to end up assassinated in the end?
'I can't even tell where things started to go off track.'
I knew there would be countless variables the moment Lucas died, but having an entirely new character pop up like this makes my head spin.
'But what can I do, even if it is complicated?'
I just have to push through.
"Hey, Princess Sweet Potato, what are you thinking about so hard while eating?"
Seron spoke, swirling her spoon in front of me.
"I always envy how you look like you don't have a single thought in your head."
"Are you looking for a fight?"
"Could you even win if you tried?"
"As long as I don't self-destruct, I'll win!"
Had she already forgotten that she didn't self-destruct last time and still lost?
"Look over there. It's the troublemaker trio."
"Birds of a feather really do flock together."
The snickering voices of passing students drifted over. I didn't think much of it, but Seron scowled fiercely.
"Those idiots don't even realize their lives were saved."
Was she talking about the Forest Keeper? Since the professors had openly discussed the recent anomaly in the Demon Palace, the other students knew about the Forest Keeper. But feeling grateful for it was an entirely different matter.
Humans never truly understand how grave a situation is until they experience it firsthand. Even if it was something that saved their lives, their perception differed vastly depending on whether they were directly rescued or not.
So, even though the professors praised us for doing a great deed, the students who had no idea how dangerous the Forest Keeper actually was remained indifferent. In fact, some of them even scoffed, wondering why everyone was making such a fuss over defeating a mere low-floor Apostle.
"Aren't you even mad?"
"Getting angry here won't change anything."
In the first place, I was the one who ruined my own reputation. Given how many things I had done to draw out Isabel's wrath, it would actually feel unfair if my reputation were good.
"Hehe, there are kids like that, but on the flip side, there are also plenty of students who think highly of you guys because of this. Don't worry too much."
Card, who had been listening from the side, chimed in. Just as Card said, some students' reputations had actually improved because of this incident. This was especially true among the high-ranking students who understood the sheer danger of an anomaly.
"I just hate looking at those smug faces giving us attitude,"
Seron grumbled. If that was the case, she could just stop hanging out with us, but it seemed she hated being alone even more.
"Oh."
Right then, I noticed the surroundings had suddenly fallen dead silent. Seron, who had been grumbling, froze mid-motion with her fork raised. The moment I turned my head to see what was happening, I froze as well.
A familiar face stood there. Long, pitch-black hair and eyes that glowed a vivid, ruby red. She was the most feared figure in the empire, and a mesmerizing woman from whom it was difficult to tear one's eyes away.
The Third Princess, Iris Haishirion. She was standing right behind me.
"Y-Your Highness, the Third Princess—"
"That's enough."
As Seron and Card scrambled to show proper etiquette, Iris raised a hand to stop them. Her gaze drifted downward, settling on me.
"Shall we have a brief chat?"
Good grief, the Third Princess was asking to talk. I had no right to refuse.
"With pleasure."
I asked Seron to clear my tray and stood up. Conveniently, I had just finished eating. Iris must have noticed that before speaking to me. She paid no mind to the stares gathering from all over the cafeteria. After all, she was someone who drew eyes wherever she went.
"Let us go somewhere quiet."
A short while later, Iris arrived at a secluded park. Since it was still peak lunchtime for the students, the park was virtually deserted. Iris sat down on a bench. As I prepared to stand politely before her, she lightly tapped the space beside her.
"Sit."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When the princess tells you to sit, you sit. I gladly took a seat beside her.
"Nia Cynthia."
An unexpected name slipped from her lips.
"Do you know why he came to Jerion Academy as an assistant professor?"
What did she mean by that? She asked without sparing me a single glance, making it impossible to read her expression.
"Yes, I heard it was to test a youth-restoring magic."
So, I simply told her what I knew. There was nothing to gain from playing mind games with the Third Princess.
"An intriguing magic, isn't it? If such a thing is possible, the academy students will no longer have to be sacrificed."
"Rather than a sacrifice, it is a noble mission."
"No matter how you dress it up, a sacrifice is still a sacrifice."
Iris clearly did not approve of the situation the students were forced into.
"Do you think that youth-restoring magic will succeed?"
"To be honest, it is likely close to impossible."
The Bandage of the Veil was an item imbued with the power of a Mystery, which was why such a feat was possible. But when it came to the realm of pure magic, the story was entirely different. Granted, magic could make the impossible possible, but even that had its limits.
"Transformation-type magic is quite dangerous. If one is not careful, they might begin to identify themselves with the form they have assumed, leading to mental collapse."
Just as she said, transformation magic was highly volatile. Because it required one to completely become that entity rather than just wearing a shell, it subtly inflicted severe psychological damage. The Bandage of the Veil was not much different in that regard.
"And a magic that actually reverts one's age would be far worse."
"You sound highly skeptical."
"I simply think it is a waste of time to pour effort into such magic."
In truth, I was just as skeptical as she was. If such a thing were possible, the world would have conquered the Demon Palace long ago and taken the head of the Evil Zone. The fact that they still hadn't done so meant there was a reason.
'Up until the moment I saw the ending, no such magic was ever completed.'
Naturally, the probability of it failing this time as well was incredibly high.
"Is there a reason you are telling me all this?"
The real question was why she felt the need to have this conversation with me. I didn't have any significant connection to Iris. Though we were distantly related and entangled in various ways, it wasn't the kind of relationship where she would call me out privately for a chat like this.
"Someone is targeting Nia Cynthia's life."
My eyes slowly widened. It was hard to believe such words were coming from Iris's mouth. Iris was striving to become the Emperor under the backing of Duke Robliaju. For her to bring up the assassination of Nia Cynthia—who was on the First Prince's side—was shocking. Furthermore, Nia's assassination was originally orchestrated by the Third Princess's faction.
"...May I ask once more, why are you telling me this?"
"Because I feel like you might be able to stop it."
What on earth did that mean? I couldn't fathom her intentions. I fell into silence for a moment.
"Do you wish for Nia Cynthia to live, Your Highness?"
"He is a valuable asset to the empire. Naturally, I do not wish to see him assassinated."
She spoke those words as she rose from the bench.
"So, if possible, I would prefer it if he survived."
I was genuinely surprised. Iris cared for the empire far more purely than I had thought. She did not want Nia Cynthia—a promising sprout who would eventually become a great pillar of the empire—to be nipped in the bud by political squabbles.
This had to be it. No matter how much Duke Robliaju pushed her from behind, the Third Princess's faction gathered under her because she truly, genuinely cared for the empire.
"If that is the case, I will do my best."
Though I didn't know how the assassination would be carried out, Iris didn't share that detail.
With that, Iris turned to leave. But as if suddenly remembering something, she looked back at me.
"What you told me last time was quite helpful. Do you have any other suggestions?"
She was referring to the chronic insomnia she suffered from.
"There is a herb called the Dawn Lily that grows wild in the western part of the empire. If you make a candle out of it and light it, it releases a scent of the early dawn that aids sleep. It should be of some help."
"Thank you."
With those final words, Iris departed.
Nia Cynthia had come to Jerion Academy. But the demonic clutches reaching for him had not yet vanished.
In the original Flame Butterfly Chapter, Nia Cynthia's assassination was an unavoidable event no matter what the player did. But now, a unique opportunity had arisen—one that might actually allow me to prevent it.
If Nia Cynthia did not die, Nikita's corruption route would also be averted.
But the moment I stopped it, the world would drift yet another step away from the canon history.
'What should I...'
Just what choice was I supposed to make?
My gaze drifted up to the sky. If the world failed to progress along the path of canon history, it would face destruction.
Lucas, what would you have done? You would have undoubtedly declared right then and there that you would save him.
But I am not a righteous person like you. I am merely an ordinary citizen who finds it overwhelming just to keep up with the flow of canon history.
If only Lucas were here instead of me, things might have been different.
A bitter smile touched my lips. I found myself missing a man whose face I had never even seen.