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177th Episode: Spirit King of Life (2)

She is the leader of spirits, known as the Apostle of Nature. If one has ascended to the rank of Spirit King, it’s fair to consider them a deity.

Among them, Shaikar presides over ‘Life.’

She can manipulate the flow of all living beings, such as plants and animals, and can reproduce the power and structure of all creatures alive on this planet.

It’s no wonder she is rated at the level of Spirit God.

However, even she is bound by an absolute law that cannot be broken…

—A person who has died can never come back to life.

It’s an unbreakable rule set by this world.

No matter how much of the Spirit King of Life she is, it’s impossible to ignore this principle. In truth, calling her a deity is merely a metaphor to worship her existence.

If that were possible, why didn’t she revive her deceased daughter long ago?

But beneath that, anything is possible.

As you know, humans are merely one of the many forms of life. Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to believe that just touching a human could yield all information about them.

“What does that even mean…?”

『It means exactly what I said. The blood flowing in your body is mixed with that of a man who became the Demon King 300 years ago.』

My reaction to this fact—needless to say—left Heidern and Tariel with their mouths agape.

Honestly, I was just as confused. I felt like tearing my hair out, wishing I had not heard it at all.

Indeed, the Demon King from 300 years ago was mentioned in the main story of the game. He was the very one responsible for the death of the Great Sage Dantia, who achieved countless feats.

Naturally, he was once human, and before becoming the Demon King, he was the Emperor of the Empire.

By a stroke of bad luck, he was quite the scoundrel even back when he was a crown prince, having a history of murdering his younger sister in secret.

For a long time, he harbored considerable insecurity regarding Dantia. He even exiled his own daughter, the Princess, simply because she idolized Dantia.

However, their ill-fated connection accelerated when Dantia took his daughter as an apprentice.

‘The backstory isn’t entirely fleshed out compared to the main plot but is still noticeable.’

While there are details about how that crazy emperor became the Demon King and what political maneuvers led to Great Sage Dantia’s fall, I still could not figure out his family tree.

‘But isn’t it a bit strange? I don’t recall that scoundrel having any descendants.’

Though his siblings were mentioned, their whereabouts were unknown.

Whether the bloodline of that royal family has been severed remains unclear, but according to Shaikar, it seems that I am indeed connected to that scoundrel’s bloodline.

“So… does that mean my father and sister also share blood with that Demon King?”

『If you aren’t adopted, then they likely do as well. Of course, I can’t say whether that bloodline comes from your mother or father.』

Received from either mother or father, huh?

When playing the game, I thought of the Crawler family merely as extras, but what on earth is their true identity?

Could it be that they are under some curse no one can unravel? Perhaps tied to some nonsensical lineage.

『But looking at the color of your blood, it seems it’s not from the main family line. After all, it makes sense for it to have faded over 300 years.』

“Was there any precedent of the Demon King leaving behind offspring back then? As you put it, I am indeed of his bloodline.”

If not, I wouldn’t exist—no, it wouldn’t explain the existence of Radon Crawler.

Perhaps it’s the result of him causing trouble with a woman in secret and not following up. Given that he was quite the scoundrel, it’s entirely possible.

Yet, unexpected words spilled from Shaikar’s lips.

『You don’t think he would have done such a thing, do you? He was a man who cast away the humanity he had left just to gain power. However, it wouldn’t be impossible for any of his siblings to have procreated, as there were three of them.』

“There were three siblings?”

Another unknown fact popped up.

In the game, the only mention of the royalty was of the scoundrel and his youngest sister. Moreover, it felt odd that they would refer to her specifically as ‘youngest.’

If she’s the youngest, it wouldn’t be weird for there to be one more in between.

『If one of those three had descendants, it could be connected to the fact that you came to be later. Regardless, since you share blood with that Demon King, there’s a chance you might suffer some disadvantages in life.』

“Disadvantages?”

『To put it simply… ‘curse’ may be the term you need.』

As those words hit my ears, a chill coursed through my body. If I piece together the previous context, I could understand the reason behind me being afflicted by Lyre’s curse.

If it was due to an ancestor’s misdeed that our Crawler family unjustly became cursed, then it aligns pretty well.

Moreover, I recalled something Muto had said long ago. He mentioned that it was a curse that had been around for 300 years.

Thus, the timing too was precisely aligned.

‘However, they say the curse of the Crawler family manifested just a few years ago… why is that?’

If it’s been tied for 300 years, why did it only manifest in recent generations?

I still had questions about this, but knowing what the root cause was eased my mind a little.

“So, is there a way to break it?”

『Hmm. You’re talking about ‘that’ which has already been cast, aren’t you?』

“….”

Shaikar quickly caught on to what I wanted. However, she also could not provide a clear answer.

『Regrettably, it seems it’s not something I can resolve directly. Just look; I can’t even intervene in a manner that aligns with human sense.』

Even she, the Spirit King, couldn’t circumvent a silence.

This reminded me that it was indeed a curse that could not be undone.

『But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to break. When you think about it, you might just consider yourself quite lucky.』

“Really?”

My eyes lit up with excitement at her words, and Shaikar smiled with a smirk.

『Hehe. But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. Did you hear? There have been two saints recently born? Unless those girls become your allies…』

…It would be absolutely impossible. And with that, she tried to suppress a chuckle.

“Oh, I already know those two. We’ve met at the academy; we’re like seniors and juniors.”

『Whaat?!』

For the first time, I could see Shaikar’s surprised expression. Then a hearty laugh erupted from her.

『Hahaha! Then it’s as good as solved! If it’s the Eternal Flame that Dantia created, you’ll surely acquire it when you graduate.』

Shaikar seemed to know what I would receive alongside my diploma.

With just the flames and the two saints, it sounded like it would be enough to break the curse.

『However, one more preparation will be necessary.』

“Huh?”

There’s something else?

My mouth broke into an involuntary question, but again, Shaikar just smiled.

『Hehe. But it seems that you already possess that preparation.』

While saying this, she pointed at Mary, who lay upon the table.

As she bathed in moonlight, appearing especially radiant today, I realized everything at once.

“Could it be…”

『To break the curse, it will require not only the power of the saints but also the power of the Demon King.』

What kind of miracle is this?

I had been stubbornly clinging to the misconception that only the power of the saints could break the curse.

Someone who has never valued the power of the Demon King nonetheless had moments of recollection about it.

All the time I spent with Mary hasn’t been wasted. As that realization hit me, admiration surged within me.

“Erm… hey, friend… you trust me, right…?”

Muttering in my sleep as I moved my hands, I reached for Mary’s small, adorable hand.

Even if she hadn’t called my name, holding her cute hand felt right.

Seeing her smile, I internally said,

—Of course I trust you.

『However, that only applies when she is able to properly control the power of the Demon King. If not, she could go berserk. Am I wrong?』

No one was there to refute this.

Heidern, who knew Mary well, even nodded in agreement.

『I too abhor the idea of history repeating itself from 300 years ago or 30 years ago. Therefore, I will place restrictions on the power of the Demon King to prevent her from going berserk.』

“Is that for real?”

“But then…”

『What? You think I will ask for a price?』

Shaikar clearly understood what we were anxious about.

That left me at a loss for words, but she wasn’t as ruthless as we thought.

『You all already have something you owe me. Consider this a return for that.』

Pointing towards the sleeping prisoners, Shaikar spoke. Understanding her intent, we bowed our heads to the Spirit King.

“Thank you so much.”

*

In the Spirit King’s Realm, we managed to stay safe.

While we had uplifted her mood, the dangers within the realm were chiefly caused by spirits under a curse. Shaikar hadn’t completely lost her trust in humans.

She drained the magic from the prisoners. Now, they resembled mere ordinary folk, but none felt any regret.

Thanks to Shaikar’s intervention, Mary could now avoid going berserk. Like Jenny’s Chain Silver, she could output only up to the point of controlling it.

Of course, should her personal power increase, she could entirely avoid going berserk. This meant there would be no case of her becoming a final boss like in Chapter 5 of the main plot.

『Before going out, there’s something I need to tell you.』

Shaikar’s words were not over yet. Her final remark was regarding the ‘Netherworld.’

Always searching for traces of her daughter, she had interfered with the Netherworld but perceived some bad energy there.

It seemed somewhere, a force was attempting to bring someone back to life.

Ordinary people wouldn’t recognize it, but the one trying to resurrect has a notable reputation.

Prince Totema had also decided to remain in the Spirit King’s Realm to find out what was happening. Given his perceptiveness, there seemed to be no cause for concern.

With that, we stepped outside.

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Shaah—

With a tearing noise, like the screech of birds, the wall blocking the exit was ripped apart and opened.

The mercenary troop and we students were finally able to return to the real world.

However, right upon our return, we were greeted by the sight of imperial knights. It seemed that Luthis had arrived, deploying additional troops.

Of course, we had already prepared for this eventuality.

“The commander has returned!”

As one knight hurriedly reported, an officer, appearing to be of higher rank, approached.

Despite our safe emergence, the officer harbored no suspicion. The reason being that ‘Commander Luthis’ was present among us.

“Welcome back, Commander.”

“Yes, all prisoners have been restrained. Furthermore, our side suffered nearly no casualties.”

In fact, it wasn’t just us that got out. As Luthis said, the soldiers under his command also managed to escape alongside us.

For now, all prisoners were being dragged out, all wearing magic-suppressing cuffs.

The soldiers tasked with executing that had passed out due to Mary’s hypnosis, but once they awoke, they could be persuaded.

That would be through Luthis, who stood here.

“First, deal with the prisoners. I will handle the rest.”

“But these individuals were supposed traitors, right? I’ve heard they betrayed justice and sided with evil.”

The officer shot a suspicious gaze. He seemed to share the same tendencies as Luthis.

However, there was no need for concern.

“To be honest, that was a misunderstanding. These friends also share our ideals, so you can rest easy.”

“Is that true?”

The officer narrowed his eyes sharply, signaling Luthis with a hand sign.

If he couldn’t reply in kind, it would imply some disguise, but Luthis seamlessly matched his sign.

“Ah, I apologize. You were indeed correct, Commander.”

“In any case, hurry. We must return to the capital by the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

With that, the officer led the remaining troops out of the forest. The soldiers nearby followed, escorting the prisoners along the way.

Now, it seemed there were no imperial soldiers remaining in sight. Luthis’s face then morphed like a piece of wood.

“They’ve all vanished. Well, if this is what Shaikar ordered, we have no choice but to comply.”

The already dead Luthis could not return.

The entity disguised as him was none other than Shaikar’s direct spirit, ‘Spike.’

“Thank you for your help.”

“It was nothing. Honestly, if you hadn’t been there, I couldn’t have accomplished this by myself. Radon Crawler.”

As Spike said, while disguising as someone is possible, copying memories and genetics entirely is not viable.

However, since I absorbed Luthis and acquired all his memories and genetics, I was able to disguise Spike.

“The disgusting memories of that knight captain you consumed now reside in my head. Moreover, I’ve even obtained his fingerprints. Radon Crawler, this is all your achievement.”

“But is it going to be okay? For the time being, you’ll need to continue living as Luthis Sentry, right?”

“As long as it’s under Shaikar’s command, I will gladly do so. Also, I’ve heard the Empire has been acting suspicious lately? Then this is just right.”

Once more, Spike, disguised as Luthis, guided us out of the forest.

There, a sunset-lit railway appeared, and the sunlight greeted us naturally.

Surviving as the Academy Scammer.

 

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