---

194th Episode. Festival Day 1 (2)

The Divine Empire was in a state of stagnation just 30 years ago.

It suffered a devastating blow from the sudden emergence of the Demon King and the ensuing Demon Beast War, plunging many into despair.

The reasons behind the Demon King’s appearance and the ferocity of demon beasts and monsters remain a mystery even now.

The land was barren, and villages were filled with exhausted people.

Only rotten crops, left behind by the Demon King’s insects, lay on the ground, forcing people to fight for survival.

A secondary war among humans was about to break out—until the Emperor appeared.

Kamain Fried Divine.

The previous Emperor was killed in the chaos of war, and this newly appointed emperor inherited the spirit of the former emperor who fought bravely against the demon beasts, preventing the internal strife among the citizens.

Kamain had a uniquely special power among the royal family.

It is said that when he touches a withered flower, it instantly revives and regains its original form.

Just a slight touch breathes life into even the most lifeless plants.

Furthermore, he can even restore the rotting earth back to its original state.

He didn’t cast complex spells like magic; everything recovered just by contact.

Emperor Kamain generously utilized this ability given to him.

He took pride in being part of the royal lineage and contributed to the restoration of the Empire.

He traveled to various regions, restoring decayed crops, neutralizing plagues left by the Demon King, and accelerating the healing of the injured.

The Empire gradually regained its former glory, but the Emperor began to lose his abilities.

It was because the scope of healing he had to cover was the entire territory of the Empire.

Visiting different places daily for reconstruction brought tremendous fatigue.

Eventually, in a fit of excessive effort, the Emperor’s healing abilities completely disappeared.

Suddenly cutting off from healing those afflicted felt akin to being left with only a droplet of water in a canteen.

Ultimately, he lamented as his power had dwindled to nothing—declaring he could heal no more.

However, the healing he had done until now was not in vain. Thanks to his touch, over half of the Empire had been restored.

─All thanks to His Majesty the Emperor.

─Even our children were healed by His Majesty!

─Surely, he is a messenger sent by the gods!

─The Emperor truly embodies what it means to be a king!

─Please continue to lead us for a lifetime!

With the absence of a Saint, the Divine Empire had diminished vitality.

Moreover, it was their own actions that led to the death of the Saint, leading them to repent for their misdeeds, and it was during this time that Emperor Kamain appeared.

Although the healing was cut short, the Empire’s recovery was swift.

The miracle he performed lifted the fallen Empire, making it capable of standing on its own.

A rope lowered into a chasm filled with darkness.

A refreshing rain in a drought.

A being that brought hope.

That is why Kamain was called a Sage Monarch.

As befitting such a holy title, his audience room within the palace was also immaculate.

“Your Majesty, the installation of the Magical Propagation Tower has been completed.”

The retainers knelt before the Emperor, reporting on some tasks.

The Emperor smiled as if hearing a beautiful poem.

“Is the position and angle correct?”

“It’s been installed perfectly without a doubt.”

“With this, we should be able to get a step closer to the Archive, the pinnacle of magical technology.”

“I hope so.”

Emperor Kamain gently stroked his beard and smiled.

To anyone, he appeared to be someone striving to advance technology for his citizens.

Honestly, it was something that anyone would find unreasonable.

The Archive, the pinnacle of all magical spells and the repository of all the world’s information.

This advanced spell was created 300 years ago by the Great Sage Dantia, and it only exists within the Aligieri Academy.

‘Why does he want to monopolize something so good?’

This thought occasionally crossed the Emperor’s mind.

It’s a thought that anyone who seeks knowledge and academic pursuit would have at least once.

It seems quite unreasonable for such a great spell to remain the exclusive property of Aligieri.

However, one must not misunderstand.

Even the higher-ups at Aligieri, including the Principal, do not have the authority to properly handle that spell.

Even after 300 years, no one has been able to manage it correctly.

It was as if the Great Sage Dantia had intentionally locked it away.

`If that’s the case, I wonder why he went through the trouble of creating it. It contradicts his purpose of bringing peace to the world.’

As Emperor Kamain was pondering this, his retainers spoke up.

“And today is the second day of the Magical Banquet.”

“Will there be any schedule changes for your visit?”

A grand festival held every five years at Aligieri.

It’s a massive event that not only people from the Divine Empire attend but also foreign visitors come to watch.

Thus, the Emperor must always attend each time it is held.

As has been the custom since the predecessors, Emperor Kamain’s visit was scheduled for the final day.

“There are no changes. As always, I will watch the finals of the Tactical Banquet and congratulate the winners, and that shall be the end of it.”

“Yes, it’s the same as the last time… but I think this time you must be more cautious, as kings from other foreign nations will also be present.”

“I am aware.”

Not only them but also other non-human races were roaming around the Magical Banquet.

The decision to allow these races to participate in this year’s event was made by Emperor Kamain.

Naturally, there were public concerns that ill-mannered races might spoil the festival, but it was overshadowed by the Emperor’s deep character.

Beastmen, who had never experienced human society, were also being welcomed for the sake of peace.

The number of those who sympathized with the Emperor’s intent surpassed those who opposed it.

The Emperor, who had consistently established the image of a Sage Monarch, had no reason to hold unfavorable public opinion.

“Has Commander Luthis arrived at Aligieri?”

“Yes, reports indicate he arrived yesterday and met with the Princess.”

“The Princess…”

“Princess Mirona.”

Though he was an unparalleled Emperor to the citizens… looking into the palace, there were aspects that made one doubt if he were truly a Sage Monarch.

Specifically, it was the child born from his capriciousness—Mirona Kirien Divine.

He treated the children of his legal wife with boundless kindness, but oddly coldly towards Mirona.

“That little brat.”

Most believed she’d be treated differently because she was a concubine’s child, but the true reason was known only to the Emperor.

Out of a sudden whim, he had a child with another maid, and up to that point, it wasn’t anything to raise an eyebrow at.

Of course, committing adultery was no light matter, but he harbored no animosity towards that child.

Yet, as he watched that child grow… a sudden revulsion washed over him.

Silken crimson hair. And those red eyes.

The moment he saw that, Kamain instinctively felt a sense of rejection.

‘She looks exactly like that girl. The one who betrayed me long ago.’

Who exactly he projected onto Mirona, only the Emperor himself knew.

She had died long ago.

“I hear she’s been elected as the Student Council President?”

“Yes, it seems she’s been desperately striving to gain your recognition.”

But to Kamain, it was just a scoff.

His cold attitude towards his child’s efforts felt alien to the retainers.

“Tell Commander Luthis to keep an eye on Mirona’s actions.”

“That means… you want to ensure her protection, yes?”

“Protection… interpret it however you like. As long as news of Mirona’s movements reach my ears, that’s enough.”

“I understand.”

After all the reports were completed, the retainers respectfully exited the audience chamber.

Though it seemed only the Emperor remained, hidden behind the throne were knights.

The two knights who appeared beside the Emperor had their faces covered with plates.

“Did you have a good outing?”

As Kamain spoke, one of the knights removed their plate helmet.

“Of course, I had a good outing. Thanks to that, I could feel a bit of what I used to do in life.”

The revived King Talema revealed his true face.

Similarly, the other knight also removed her helmet, revealing a mysterious woman with silver hair.

“…”

The woman remained silent, but the Emperor smiled as if everything was fine.

“Is it because she was revived as RE-Union that her instincts are more dominant?”

“I’m fine, but I can’t be sure about this woman.”

Talema was chatty while the woman maintained her silence, appearing dry and detached.

Yet, there was one thing in the woman’s favor.

“But there’s no need to belittle her too much.”

“Why’s that?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? She was stronger than you in life.”

“Hahaha!”

At first, Talema burst out laughing… but suddenly changed his expression to seriousness.

“I’ll kill you.”

Sensing the chill, the Emperor quickly shifted the atmosphere.

“Haha, just a joke. If it were in the past, you would surely surpass me now since you have undergone transformations several more times.”

“Thanks to that, I’ve acquired abilities I never had in life. For example…”

Surprisingly, Talema’s face morphed to resemble Emperor Kamain’s.

It was so similar that one could mistake it for having two Emperors in the world.

“Now I can even disguise myself like this.”

“Don’t you have more abilities?”

“I do, but it would be problematic to reveal them here.”

“…”

Understanding Talema’s words, the Emperor fell silent.

If revealed, it could lead to the collapse of the entire palace.

“Anyway, did you manage to find those things?”

“Thanks to wandering outside, I was able to retrieve all of them. Look.”

Talema proudly showed a multitude of papers fluttering about.

Each sheet had several sentences written on it, with a blue flame seal burning on the bottom.

They were all diplomas from the Aligieri Academy.

“Along with my old one… I also stole the diplomas of other juniors. Since they have just graduated, the blue flames are still burning.”

“And what about those juniors?”

A mischievous smirk formed on Talema’s lips.

“They’re probably having a peaceful night.”

With that ominous response, the Emperor said,

“Well done.”

It was far removed from the image of the Sage Monarch people praised.

In truth, only the external appearance seemed to embody a Sage Monarch. His inner nature was something else entirely.

“I’m glad this body belongs to the Sage Monarch. There’s no risk of being discovered, after all.”

The laughter of someone possessed by the Emperor echoed through the audience chamber.

*

“So that’s not the Emperor?”

Leading the way, Lyman asked me.

This friend of the protagonist was currently dragging me somewhere.

Surprisingly, we were heading into a cave that became hotter the deeper we went.

“You probably didn’t notice because you’ve had your attention off the royal family. The Emperor was suddenly swapped out.”

As we walked, I shared an unknown fact with Lyman.

Even Lyman, who had lived for 300 years, was unaware of this variable, and failing to notice it opened the path for a bad ending.

It was the perfect time to reveal this, as the moment of confrontation was drawing near.

“So right now, the Kamain Emperor is a fake?”

“That’s right.”

“When did this happen?”

“Around 17 years ago.”

At that time, the Emperor was enjoying his wealth and fame while being praised as a Sage Monarch.

And it was about 16 years ago when he seduced a concubine and had Mirona.

If that was a fake, then the sudden whimsy of his makes sense.

A supposedly devout Emperor wouldn’t suddenly commit adultery.

“Probably anything short of crossing the line would have been allowed. After all, the status associated with the Emperor was quite powerful.”

The Emperor who healed the dwindling Empire now shielded the one who stole his body.

“Who is this being that possessed him?”

I swallowed hard before speaking.

“Makia. You probably know him well.”

Bam!—

At that moment, the cave shook violently.

Lyman, who had been walking, suddenly stopped and punched the wall.

He must have felt anger at the mention of that name, reacting instinctively.

“Is that really true?”

Lyman glared at me with sharp eyes.

“It is true.”

Makia. In Lyman’s eyes, he was someone who deserved to be torn apart.

The former Demon King from 300 years ago… the father of Maya, the disciple of the Great Sage Dantia.

And the nemesis who led his mother Dantia to her demise.

“That bastard.”

Yet Lyman grinned as if pleased.

I could sense what he was thinking, as he had been manipulated by me.

He was glad he might finally be able to kill the person he couldn’t that day.

“Still, we shouldn’t attack recklessly. Above all, if you transform into a demon and kill him, it will put us at a disadvantage.”

“…”

Thanks to his political scheming, our main characters become the enemies of the masses.

If Lyman’s demonic transformation is uncovered, public opinion will worsen.

“To prevent that, it seems I will need you. Hurry up. We’re almost there.”

The place we arrived at, following Lyman, was underground, where lava bubbled.

This spot was the underground of Purgatory Mountain and, in particular, an area unknown to the public.

In front of us stood the gigantic skeleton of some beast, which remained intact despite the lava showers—it was the companion divine beast of the Great Sage from 300 years ago.

“I pay my respects to the Thousand-Year Fox. Please let it lead to a happy ending.”

As I prayed, Lyman clicked his tongue and urged me.

“What are you doing? Hurry up.”

“What do you mean? I’m praying to your master.”

“Just come over already.”

As Lyman drew a magic circle in front of the flowing lava, he said,

“I need to inject my power into you from now on.”

Surviving as the Academy Scammer.

 

---