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168. Mary Ryudshiel (1)

The atmosphere in the square was chaotic.

The very idea that such secret experiments were taking place in the Empire they served was shocking.

Is this even something that’s possible?

“Could this really be true? That they’re using sacrifices to animate corpses?”

“Since knights are involved, it doesn’t seem like it’s a lie or anything.”

“If it weren’t true, would we be stupid enough to venture into such a dangerous place?”

“But everyone knows how merciful the Emperor is.”

The Divine Emperor is one of the kindest in history.

At least one might think it was for some noble cause, but the fact that dozens of innocent villagers died due to that experiment makes it all contradictory.

Or perhaps there’s a possibility that it’s an experiment led by corrupt retainers without the Emperor’s knowledge.

“Wow… This is some big news! Radon, jot this down right now.”

“You can’t be thinking of writing this in an official Academy document, right?”

“Hahaha, just a joke. There’s no way I’d do something that foolish!”

“….”

Despite the words, Trisha’s eyes sparkled with the thrill of a scoop. That sight sent a chill down my spine.

No matter what anyone said, this was classified information related to the royal family. If this were leaked to the Academy, it would create a massive uproar.

Firstly, members of the Newspaper Department would go missing without a trace, and as a result, all the key faculty and board members would end up facing severe consequences.

And by the time the missing Newspaper Department students reappeared, they would already be different people.

“Trisha, we could end up losing our necks over this kind of stuff.”

“I know that. That’s why I said it was a joke.”

It’s fortunate that Trisha understood this aspect well, as it’s almost like the covert actions of security enforcement.

“Besides, who would believe that the capable Divine Emperor would do something like that? They’d probably end up being dragged off and buried in rumors.”

“Thank goodness for that. Your brains seem to be working well this time.”

“What are you saying? Does that mean my brain doesn’t usually work?”

What’s more, there was no proof to confirm this.

At this point, turning the public’s adoration of the Emperor on its head would be as easy as reaching for the stars.

Additionally, there was even a variable lurking behind them that not even the protagonist Lyman was aware of.

It would be a rash judgment to declare an open war.

“So, what will you do moving forward?”

At that moment, Tariel asked Heidern.

It wasn’t a booming question, merely asked in a cool manner.

Yet, as soon as the mercenaries sensed that tone, they stifled their whispers.

An ominous silence settled over them, as if a gentle breeze might shift into a tempest.

“Even if that’s true, do you plan to stay in a place like this? That would be quite troublesome for us. I’m sure you know why.”

From the start, our mission was to restrain them. That was our sole purpose in coming this far; we couldn’t just shift gears all of a sudden.

Normally, we should have captured them by now. There was no room for mercy when it came to sacrifices for reviving beasts or whatever.

We were just supposed to adhere to our designated mission. It didn’t matter whether they lived or died.

“I’ll follow your wishes.”

Heidern answered obediently.

Tariel was surprised by his unexpected compliance.

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

“Then would it be possible for you to give us some time?”

*

From now on, just two days.

That was the time the prisoners, including Heidern, requested. Because on that day, the full moon would rise.

In truth, they did not simply choose this realm as a hideout.

They aimed to return all their magical power to the Spirit King Shaikar.

Shaikar manifests every time the full moon rises.

Usually, entering this realm at any other time would mean risking one’s life due to fierce spirits, but on the night of the full moon, survival is possible.

However, this also comes at the cost of losing all magical powers to Shaikar.

There’s an anecdote about an exceptional wizard who recklessly entered and ended up completely draining their mana.

That day, coincidentally, was a full moon.

Thankfully, I was able to convince the mercenaries. Their estimated duration of the mission was about a week.

Spending just two days would not be an issue at all.

Thanks to this, Heidern felt relieved.

Once his magic was all gone, he wouldn’t be able to resurrect his remarkable allies.

All this knowledge had been passed down from his master.

“Elder Enviel… You haven’t changed at all.”

The figure who was like a father to him still lingered in his mind.

It was the same when he was living in captivity.

It was inevitable to feel that nothing had changed since then.

“If I stay like this, I might end up wanting to meet him and do something strange again.”

The conclusion that Elder Enviel had passed away had not yet reached the public.

However, if he had indeed died, Heidern might unknowingly commit an irreversible act.

For example, sacrificing others to resurrect the deceased.

In that case, it would be better to lose all his power instead.

`It’s not just me, though.`

The other prisoners with him were the same.

They were all individuals who had crossed a taboo and turned into monsters.

No family, no friends. No relationships to speak of and no one to inherit their will.

They had nothing left to lose. A desperate yet fearsome category of human beings.

Like ticking time bombs, they would be better off being dismantled.

Rather than be exploited for a bad plan…

“Counselor…”

Swoosh—

With a cold breeze accompanying the voice, someone called out to him. Heidern turned to Mary Ryudshiel, who was calling him.

Thinking back, he used to help Mary with her annoying chores when he first took office as the counselor.

He had accepted that job requested from the White Magic Tower.

As a result, he knew a few of Mary’s little secrets.

“Can we talk?”

Mary’s tone was as friendly as always, but it seemed to have a different connotation than before.

Come to think of it, she had been unconscious when they arrived. There’s no way she would just faint from some magic mishaps.

Something must have happened to her that could snap her out of her former naivety.

“Did you figure it out? About that `Demon King`?”

Heidern could sense something with a tremble in his expression.

*

Night fell.

While the forest usually becomes ominous in the dark, it wasn’t bad here surprisingly.

Little insects glowed as they flew around. Though they were not fireflies, their glowing was a trait of those insect spirits.

Thanks to that, even with the night growing dim, the forest appeared quite bright.

I climbed onto the netting set up inside a small tree house and lay down. It didn’t shake much, and the angle was comfortable, so it wasn’t an uncomfortable resting place.

Chirrup—

With the cry of a nocturnal animal, small insect spirits floated in the dim space.

They flew lightly like feathers, leading with their glowing bodies.

It was calming, wiping away unease in my sleep.

The view outside through the gaps in the trees was notably beautiful. A stark contrast to the misty paths I had encountered on my way here.

The mercenaries keeping watch outside would surely be enjoying that scenery with their eyes.

“I can finally get some rest.”

Tariel accepted Heidern’s opinion.

Thanks to that, things could turn out peacefully, but it wasn’t exactly without caution.

During these two days, we were keeping an eye on the movements of the prisoners.

No matter what, a criminal is still a criminal.

‘Could it really be RE-Union?’

A magic spell that resurrects the dead.

In the main story, it was a passing reference, so not much detail is provided. Still, it does cover the basics, allowing comprehension.

It wasn’t a perfect spell.

The forcibly resurrected entity has no memories of their past life and can’t move without regular infusions of mana.

Due to its inefficiency, it wasn’t often utilized even during Doomsday.

But they must be anxious by now.

In the main story, they could at least feel a little relaxed since their top player, Enviel, was alive.

Now, however, he was nowhere to be seen no matter how long they waited, which must be incredibly unsettling.

And to make matters worse, the number seven, Demora, had died, and Aisha was also missing.

They must be clutching at straws by now.

‘Thus, they’ve come up with the idea of resurrecting the dead.’

Even if its efficiency is low, it can fill the ranks in place of Aisha.

If the target for resurrection is ordinary, no special sacrifices are needed, but if it’s an immensely powerful being, it’s the opposite.

If there’s insufficient mana to sustain that power, the body will collapse. Because a corpse can’t naturally generate mana.

Therefore, a vessel to wring out the mana is required.

`Now, I’ve discovered everything I wanted to.`

『So all that’s left is to enjoy camping for two days and then return? This is a total freebee mission.』

Muto piped in with a grin.

『For those two days, no training or classes, just sitting around doing nothing. The ones at the Academy would be furious if they knew about this.』

`What, do you think I came here just for a vacation?`

He only picks the most irritating things to say.

As soon as I pulled out the drops of the Manyaeng, the guy jumped back in shock.

This snake better learn to keep it together.

『But this is strange for a Spirit King’s realm. The barriers are quite loose, you know? For a Spirit like me, I shouldn’t be able to enter freely.』

`We’ve already faced threats before. Remember when the fake Four Saints appeared?`

It sounded rather obvious from a threatening point of view towards humans. No need to elaborate when it pertains to the contrary, namely the Spirits.

『But it’s peculiar. I’ve sensed carefully, but there’s no trace of that Spirit King’s aura. Of course, if he has vanished, this realm should too, but… should I say he just stepped out for a bit?』

I’d heard that they only manifest when the full moon rises.

It felt like he often left home for important affairs.

『Then if I scorch this place here for the next two days, the Spirit King won’t react, huh? Does that sound fun?』

‘If you’re going to die, do it yourself.’

『Hehehe, just kidding.』

Trisha and this guy are cut from the same cloth. How is it that a joke can’t sound like one?

I’m scared to death.

It’s absolutely horrendous.

『Oh no! I guess this isn’t my place to meddle in.』

‘What?’

Suddenly, Muto hides his body.

And Mary, who had been lying beside me, approached my netting.

“Friend…”

Mary, who had been asleep at the other end of the net, suddenly came close.

“Can I lay down with you?”

I shivered in that instant. The net shook notably because of it.

Before I even asked why she was doing that, she had already climbed onto the net and lay down.

Thanks to the size of the net and Mary’s petite frame, it wasn’t a hindrance to sleeping.

But I wondered if she had come to play tricks again; the image immediately crossed my mind.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“I’m just lonely.”

It really didn’t seem like an ordinary situation. Seeing the glowing bugs flit about, she wasn’t even attempting to sate her appetite.

She’d been acting uncharacteristically since she got here, and while she had some spirit back then, now she appeared devoid of motivation.

“Friend, how do I seem to you?”

“What?”

“What kind of being do you think I am?”

The predicament she found herself in regarding her own existence wasn’t typical for Mary. Observing her like this made my heart feel heavy.

Mary, who had always smiled and played whenever I saw her. That part of her had remained unchanged since the first time we met.

At first, I thought I wouldn’t be able to adapt to her. Even when I gifted her something explosive as a sign of severance, she happily jumped into my embrace.

Surely no one in the world could be as foolish as she.

“A genius magic girl with two great wizards as parents?”

“Again?”

“A student who goes crazy and charges at bugs?”

“Again?”

This time, Mary filled her words with joy.

“A glamorous older sister?”

[Consumption Rate Drop: -4%]

[+400 Credits]

“A model-type?”

[Consumption Rate Drop: -5%]

[+500 Credits]

“A flawless multi-talented beauty?”

[Consumption Rate Drop: -6%]

[+600 Credits]

Hah.

The more I spoke, the more embarrassed I felt.

Honestly, I didn’t think this kind of flattery would work.

“Hehehe… Thank you so much.”

Hearing that truly made her happy.

It was so unrealistically simple.

But what was happening to me right now was not a fantasy.

Jenny, Luska, and everyone else were all real.

That was why my heart was inevitably heavy.

“And… my friend.”

I added that, which was sincere enough not to reduce the consumption rate.

At the same time, Mary’s laughter stopped. It wasn’t that her emotions had suddenly turned, but she was caught in an unknown feeling, unable to respond.

-If something happens to me, please take care of those guys.

Suddenly, the words of the protagonist floated to my mind. Since Mary was more concerned about me than that guy, I now had to take responsibility.

“Okay… then friend. I’ll ask you one last thing.”

“….”

“If I were to change into something else, would you still be my friend?”

In a heartfelt manner, Mary earnestly asked me.

“Of course.”

My answer was unequivocal.

Then, Mary sprang up and spoke.

“Then… is this okay?”

Mary, standing from the net, looked somehow different.

She had crimson eyes, which could never belong to Mary, and wings shaped like a demon appeared on her back. Along with horns, symbolizing that she was the leader of the demon race.

I couldn’t help but hold my breath seeing her like that. It was the form of the chapter 5 final boss. The awakened Beelzebub.

“….”

An instant chill swept through.

I found myself speechless for 10 seconds in that state. It was unusual for her to reveal such a form before a friend.

Seeing the astonishment on my face, Mary’s expression completely fell. She thought there was no way I would like this sight.

Suddenly—

“Oh…?”

But I raised myself and hugged her. Mary looked startled, her pupils dilating.

“Don’t worry. You’re not the only one affected by that ■■.”

Even if I wasn’t sure if my words conveyed it well, I spoke while patting Mary’s back.

Though we couldn’t see each other’s faces due to our closeness, I could see Mary’s horns and wings shrinking down.

The insect spirits illuminated that scene beautifully.

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.

 

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