Episode 168. Mary Rudsiel (1)
The atmosphere in the square was chaotic.
It was shocking that such secret experiments were being conducted in the empire they served.
Is this actually possible?
“Is that really true? They make sacrifices to move corpses.”
“Seeing that the knights participated, it doesn’t seem like a lie.”
“Otherwise, why would you have come to such a dangerous place?”
“But we all know how merciful the Emperor is.”
The Divine Emperor is one of the very good emperors of all time.
It was thought to be intended for at least a good cause, but it seems contradictory that dozens of innocent villagers died as a result of the experiment.
Or, we can infer that it might be an experiment led by rotten vassals without the emperor’s knowledge.
“Wow… This is a great article! Radon, make a note of it right now.”
“You’re not planning to put this in the Academy’s official document, are you?”
“Hahaha, just kidding. Would I do something so life-threatening?”
“….”
Even though she said that, Trisha’s eyes sparkled as if she had caught a scoop. I felt a chill down my spine at the sight.
No matter what anyone says, this is confidential information related to the royal family. If this is leaked to the Academy, it will cause a huge uproar.
First of all, it is common for newspaper club members to disappear without anyone knowing, and the key professors and board members will all be stripped of their clothes as a result.
And when the newspaper club students who had disappeared reappeared, they would already be different people.
“Senior, if you keep doing that, we might end up losing our friendship.”
“I know. That’s why I said it wasn’t a joke.”
It was fortunate that Trisha knew about this part, as it was no different from the cover-up operation of Gahee Public Security.
“Besides, who would believe that the capable Divine Emperor would do such a thing? Not only would he be dragged away, but it would also be buried as a false rumor.”
“That’s fortunate. At least this time my head works well.”
“What, Inma! So you’re saying that you don’t usually go around that well?”
Above all, there is no evidence to confirm this.
As of now, reversing public opinion that idolizes the emperor is like trying to reach a needle in a haystack.
Moreover, there are variables hidden behind these guys that even the main character, Lyman, is unaware of.
It would be premature to openly declare all-out war.
“Then what are you going to do from now on?”
Then Tariel asked Heidern.
It wasn’t like he was particularly angry, like a wall. He just bit me like a cold wind.
But the moment the mercenaries recognized that tone, they restrained themselves from muttering.
A stillness formed, as if the cold wind was about to turn into a typhoon.
“Even if that’s true, do you plan on staying in a place like this? It would be very difficult for us. I don’t need to tell you why.”
It’s our job to arrest them from the beginning. We came here with that sole purpose in mind, so we can’t just drift away.
Normally, they should be captured right away. They are not in a position to show mercy while arguing about the sacrificial offering of the lion and such.
They are just faithfully carrying out their assigned mission. They don’t care whether they die or not.
“I will do whatever you want.”
Then Heidern answers obediently.
Tariel looked surprised at the unexpected lack of resistance.
But it wasn’t like that now.
“Instead, could you please give us some time?”
* * * * *
Exactly two days from now.
That was the time that the prisoners, including Heidern, had requested, because the full moon would rise at that time.
In fact, they did not simply choose this area as a refuge.
It is to return all magical power from Shaikar, the King of Life Spirits.
Shaikhar occasionally appears at this location during the full moon.
Normally, if you enter this area at any time, you will lose your life to the fierce spirits, but on days when the full moon rises, you can survive.
However, all magical powers are taken away by Shaikar.
There is an anecdote about a great magician who entered without fear and wasted all his magical power.
That day happened to be a full moon day.
Fortunately, we managed to convince the mercenaries. Their mission is said to last approximately one week.
It’s not a problem at all if it only takes about two days.
Thanks to this, Heidern was able to rest assured.
Because if your magic power completely disappears, you won’t be able to revive an exceptionally strong person.
All this knowledge was passed down to me from my teacher.
‘Elder Envyel… I really am still the same.’
The person who was like a father to me still lingers in my mind.
It was the same when I was imprisoned.
I can’t help but feel like nothing has changed since before.
‘If things continue like this, I might do something weird again because I want to see that person.’
The public has not yet reached a conclusion that Envyel is dead.
However, if you die, you may unknowingly commit irreversible acts.
For example, sacrificing others to bring the dead back to life.
In that case, it would be better to lose all power.
`It’s not just me.`
The same goes for the prisoners who came with him.
Because they are those who, like himself, broke taboos and turned into monsters.
He has no family, no friends, no proper connections, and no one to carry on his will.
They have nothing left to lose. They are the most pitiful and scary type of people.
They are like a time bomb, so it would be better for them to be dismantled.
I’d rather be used for bad plans than…
“Teacher…”
Swaaaah-
Someone spoke to him along with the cold wind. Heidern turned his head to Mary Ludsiel, who had called him.
Come to think of it, when I first took up the vice principal position, I had been taking care of Mary’s annoying tasks.
Because he accepted the request from Baekma Tower.
Thanks to that, I knew some of Mary’s little secrets.
“Can you talk to me?”
Mary’s tone of voice, as if she were talking to someone as if she were her friend, was still the same, but the tone seemed different than before.
Come to think of it, I was unconscious until I got here. I don’t think she’s the type of girl who’d collapse just because she used a bunch of magic.
It was clear that something had happened. Something that had brought her back to her senses in an instant.
“You probably noticed that ‘Demon King’, didn’t you?
Heidern could sense it through his trembling expression.
* * * * *
It’s night.
The forest tends to get dreary when it gets dark, but this place was surprisingly not bad.
Tiny bugs fly around, emitting light from their bodies. Even though they are not fireflies, it seems that the bug spirits’ characteristic is that they glow spontaneously at night.
Thanks to this, the forest looked quite bright even though it was getting dark.
I climbed up onto the net installed inside the small wooden house and lay down. It didn’t shake much and was at a good angle to lie down, so sleeping was not uncomfortable.
Kkirururuk-
Simultaneously with the cries of nocturnal animals, small insect spirits floated in the small, dark space.
Leading a luminous body, he flies as lightly as a feather.
I felt relieved because it eliminated my anxiety while I was sleeping.
The outdoors seen through the gaps in the trees was also quite beautiful. It was a complete contrast to the foggy road I had encountered on my way here.
The mercenaries on guard outside will be enjoying the sight with their own eyes.
“I can finally get some rest.”
Tariel accepted Heidern’s opinion.
Thanks to that, I was able to go in a roundabout way, but I wasn’t just letting it go.
We are currently monitoring the every move of the prisoners who will be staying with us for the next two days.
I don’t know about anything else, but criminals are criminals.
‘I never thought it would be RE-Union.’
A spell that brings the dead back to life.
In the main story, it’s just a setting that appears in passing, so it doesn’t go into detail. Still, you can understand it because it shows the basic principles.
It’s not a perfect spell.
Those who have been forcibly resurrected have no memories of their past lives and cannot move unless they are regularly infused with magical power.
I remember it wasn’t used much even among Doomsdays because it was so inefficient.
But the guys must be getting nervous by now.
In the main story, Enviel, the number one among them, survived and they were able to move about with a little peace of mind.
But now, no matter how long I wait for him, he doesn’t return. How unsettling it must be.
To make matters worse, Demora, who was number 7, died and even Aisha disappeared.
Now you must be desperate.
‘So what came to mind was the resurrection of the dead?’
Even though it may be less efficient, it may be enough to replace Aisha.
If the target of resurrection is ordinary, no special sacrifice is necessary, but if the target of resurrection is a very powerful being, the opposite is true.
If there is not enough magical power to maintain that power, the body will collapse, because the corpse cannot generate magical power on its own.
So, a sacrifice that can squeeze out magical power is needed.
`Now I know everything I wanted to know.`
“So all that’s left is to enjoy the two days of camping and then come back? This is a really great mission.”
Muto intervenes, whining.
『During that time, you don’t have to train or attend classes, and you just have to stay still. The guys inside the academy will be furious if they find out about this.』
`Don’t you think I came here to play?`
He’s the kind of guy who only picks out mean things to say.
The moment I take out Man-young’s raindrops, the guy backs away, making a fuss.
This snake guy needs to wiggle around a bit.
『But for a spirit king’s territory, the border is pretty loose. It would be normal for a spirit like me to not be able to enter and exit freely.』
`You’ve already been threatened. Don’t you remember when the fake Four Priests showed up?`
It sounded like a new word at a time when even humans were threatening enough. Needless to say, it was a spirit that was in conflict with the spirit.
『But there’s something a little strange. I’ve been sensing it carefully, but I can’t feel the aura of the author called the Spirit King. Of course, if he’s gone, then this area should disappear as well… Should I just say he’s gone?』
I actually heard that you can’t have an epiphany unless the full moon rises.
It felt like I was leaving the house frequently because of important business.
『Then you’re saying that even if I set fire to various places for the past two days, the Spirit King won’t react! Doesn’t that sound fun?』
‘If you’re going to kill yourself, do it yourself.’
“Hehehe, just kidding.”
Senior Trisha or this guy. How can a joke not be heard as a joke?
I’m scared to death.
I’m dying of disgust.
“Oh my! I guess it’s not my place anymore.”
‘what?’
Muto suddenly hides his body.
And then Mary, who was lying next to me, came towards my net.
“Hey friend…”
It was Mary who was sleeping in the net opposite me. Mary suddenly came up to me and said.
“Can we lie down together?”
For a moment, my body trembled. That caused the hammock to shake unusually.
Before I could even ask why, he was already lying down on the net.
The net was quite wide and Mary was small, so she had no trouble sleeping.
But I’m already starting to think that maybe he’s here to play a prank again.
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“I was just lonely.”
It didn’t seem like an ordinary thing. Even seeing a glow-in-the-dark bug flying around next to me didn’t whet my appetite.
He had been acting strangely since he came here, but he had some energy back then. Now, he seemed to have no motivation at all.
“Hey buddy. How am I?”
“what?”
“What do you think I am?”
It was not like Mary to be lost in her own anguish over her own existence. Seeing her like that made my heart feel heavy for no reason.
Mary, who always laughed and chatted whenever she saw me. That was the same from the first time we met.
At first, I thought she wouldn’t be able to adapt to that kind of thing and tried to break up with her. Even though I gave her a bomb-like gift as a sign of breaking up our relationship, Mary was delighted and jumped into my arms.
There is no one in the world as foolish as this guy.
“A genius magical girl with two great wizards as parents?”
“also?”
“A student who goes crazy and runs towards you just by seeing a bug?”
“also?”
This time, I included some words that Mary would probably be crazy about.
“Glamorous older sister?”
[Erosion rate reduction: -4%]
[+400 Credits]
“A model type?”
[Erosion rate reduction: -5%]
[+500 Credits]
“A perfect all-rounder?”
[Erosion rate reduction: -6%]
[+600 Credits]
Sigh.
The more I talked, the more embarrassed I felt.
Honestly, I don’t think this kind of nonsense will work.
“Hehehe… Thank you so much.”
I really like hearing that.
It’s so simple it’s almost unrealistic.
But what’s happening to me right now isn’t virtual.
Jenny, Ruska, and everyone else are real.
That’s why I can’t help but feel heavy-hearted.
“And… my friend.”
I added, this time I was serious about not letting the erosion rate decrease.
At the same time, Mary’s laughter stopped. It wasn’t that her mood had suddenly changed, but rather that she was swept away by an inexplicable emotion, so Mary couldn’t answer.
-If anything happens to me, please take care of those guys.
Suddenly, I remember what the main character said. Since Mary cared more about me than that guy, I had no choice but to take responsibility now.
“Ouch… Then, my friend. Let me ask you one last question.”
“….”
“If I change into something, will you still be my friend?”
Mary asks with deep admiration in her heart.
“of course.”
My answer was self-evident.
Then Mary jumped up and said.
“Then… is this okay?”
Mary woke up in bed looking different.
It had red eyes that Mary could never have, demon-shaped wings on its back, and horns that symbolized its status as the leader of the demon tribe.
I couldn’t help but hold my breath when I saw that sight. The final boss of Chapter 5. It was the awakened Beelzebub.
“….”
A cold wind blew for a moment.
I was silent for 10 seconds because it was unusual for her to do that in front of her friends.
Mary’s face turned pale at my surprised expression. I thought she wouldn’t like it if I showed her this kind of appearance.
sudden-
“uh…?”
But I sat up and hugged Mary. Mary looked embarrassed and her pupils narrowed.
“Don’t worry. You’re not the only one who’s been affected by that.”
I patted Mary on the back and said, “I don’t know if it was conveyed well, but it was.
Because her face was crossed, her expression was unclear, but Mary’s horns and wings could be seen shrinking.
The sight was beautifully illuminated by insect spirits.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
