Chapter 133
NrOIStarting with the rank 72 demon, Andromalius, followed by the rank 70 demon, Seir, the rank 69 demon, Decarabia, and even the rank 66 demon, Kimaris.XGMK7jT
Zx4S7Although Seir and Decarabia were prevented from descending thanks to Fernan, the fact that they had come so close to doing so was undeniable.moy
c2kP5It hadn’t even been two years since he obtained the prophecy book, and already four demons had descended or nearly done so.Zfal
PP5dlmThe war against the demons was no longer a matter of the distant future or a ridiculous fantasy.O3NplO9
ExdThat’s why Fernan valued Aint even more.LWV0
u3SHpk‘The Aint of now is strong.’4slGB
dEVfWEIf Luina had the potential to become the next Royal Knight, in Fernan’s eyes, Aint was someone with the potential to become the youngest Royal Knight in history.05hl
uZ5That, along with the help of Sir Gardner himself, the first Royal Knight, and the power of Armian.lXLrjZS
MjCCT‘If things continue like this, it’s only natural for Armian to reclaim the throne.’jPB6
yHd97As long as Aint had the ambition, Schwaben wouldn’t stand a chance.79PPEN9
RRxBj9qThat’s why he advised him to surround himself with mercenaries.nmfD9
cjNSFor Aint, whose house lacked sufficient power, there was no better support force than mercenaries.vmW
BQmSm‘And having Varus as a companion will be another great advantage.’iqGxc
L8iUXEven if the prophecy book hadn’t mentioned it yet, surely the Aint of the future also expanded his strength in this way.0qiMhQ
s612‘In that sense, that guy would’ve been useful… what a shame.’YT1xk
YNLFernan glanced at Roderick Fisher, who was leading the mercenaries beside Aint.8hxK
BK9Bo“Demonic beasts! Make way!”NyHDkN
28VMWaaaah!zw0ck
5ZlOe4CRoderick, who killed a creature in a single blow and charged forward, was at a level among the best in the mercenary world.o5c5
TZG1‘It’s said he idolizes the King of Mercenaries, right?’z5dC
qLyvWtThat’s why he named his group “Blue Wolves,” similar to the “Red Wolves” of the Mercenary King.Nxm7qRm
oeYIQOf course, there wasn’t a mercenary who didn’t idolize him.Nck
A7VYeB‘But for a corrupted to idolize a man who killed a demon doesn’t make sense…’GbW9
AqC7VIt was pure coincidence that Fernan noticed him among those storming the hideout from all sides.nBY4q
iEyfPEBut seeing him at the front, leading the charge, was strange.laYc6x
1QwpAbA mercenary, someone who values money and life above all, leading the way?seIS
MQxrz08Maybe he wanted to earn the trust of Aint and Fernan, or maybe he just trusted in his strength.UgYAUJR
AhoZKFernan thought that too at first and, as a precaution, sent Wooden to observe. He never imagined he’d find such prey.kzrw0C
yyUNSE‘There was nothing suspicious in the records of any of the three.’O3CL
pxoWf2With the help of the Golden Pillar, he investigated the background of the three mercenary captains, but found nothing unusual.MAlgl
Xdm6lThey were all mercenaries who lived for money, easy to trust if paid fairly.gZbJZe
r8tIf he hadn’t seen with his own eyes the actions of that damned corrupted, Fernan would have trusted Roderick Fisher without hesitation.bbz8ZXu
5xu0gk1— Kyu?Oa1GUV
8vYOu“Well done. It’s thanks to you.”Oe4Dnn
WMB2C9uFernan patted Wooden’s head. Hyde asked,hDt
3mZ“Will you keep watching him?”IGVB
52h0rSI“Yes. From what I felt, among the corrupted, he was someone of high rank. We’ll pretend ignorance and keep him close while we figure out the best way to use him.”psy
0OuB0q0Fernan twisted the corner of his lips.EPz6Y4
fZTnVneAnyone who dared take his money and then betray him would never die peacefully.apt92EN
4U3mAnd if they were corrupted, even less so.ogD1Q
j5udeqABesides, killing him right away would be a waste.xD3DpZe
RgdCK8kFrom just that brief conversation between Roderick and the corrupted, he had already gained a lot of information.b3piDi
wzq‘That now I’m considered as dangerous as Aint… that there are hierarchies even among the corrupted…’696
8ngAnd finally, that even the demons weren’t as united as they seemed.adF
NvMZi8‘That corrupted insulted Kimaris.’xVUGy2i
OjDICkServing another demon, it was clear he didn’t revere Kimaris.sPx
DYhO‘Now that I think about it, when we obtained the First Emperor’s legacy, there were paintings with demons…’Qgn8sk
BZKEAnd in those paintings, the demons appeared facing each other, as if in confrontation.W29JigP
h4fbOhhThis deserved further thought, more information.22bU
AiVP5“Should we tell Aint…?”6oW8wfb
i590tm“No, we won’t. That guy shows all his thoughts on his face.”zLwp
j2OS“That’s true. Still, it’s surprising. In the end, there was a corrupted Aint couldn’t uncover…”4YB2
bL3Wq“I’m not that surprised, I suspected. Now I’m sure, and that’s enough.”7fKlL8i
3NfWhat remained was to see how far Aint would go.6ouy
Lg5UavHe had already advised him to win over the mercenaries, and Aint was making the effort.JnE
qjfYEThanks to that, several mercenaries were already leaning in his favor.WJcQAQX
kCyq“In any case, even without that, that Roderick will probably wag his tail like a dog.”CQeyiK
JH8frAfter closing that topic, Fernan asked something else.zbQ
bpYui“Hyde, are there any more leads?”9tlGO
iYBj“We’re following the tracks found in the hideouts, but nothing new.”kPufQX
3Nntu4DThey had found more lairs, yes, but nothing that connected them to the demons or to Frazia’s nobles.QpZ2Mob
3bU‘Just because the corrupted are active doesn’t mean the nobles are involved…’YRfU6A
rxogWere they too well hidden? Or maybe there was no connection? Still, the doubt remained.oSJ
fEXjS8fEspecially because that corrupted, Roderick, was handing over other corrupted on a silver platter.1jfCa
B12XBe“And the black obsidian mine?”raFMS5G
5ngDy“We found it and it’s under development, just as you said. With the troops the duke sent us, things are going smoothly.”ZvEDbD
i1jK4G“Good—no, wait.”WXm
PmiAMaybe because he had defeated Kimaris, Fernan caught himself being overconfident.7qB8
1uo7eiKSelf-confidence? What nonsense, after just one win against a demon.aP714uc
cMBf“It’s during easy times when we must be most careful. Check everything again.”r5ZAg
55W2t6u“Of course.”XvY
Rf3JdX“Hopefully some trace of that damned Flauros appears…”a9MIv
q5VLKoEThe future had already veered off quite a bit, and they had managed to stop two demon descents before they happened—Seir and Decarabia.lFaxZ
7uGUThere was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen a third time.GJH
UWy“It’s over! No demonic beasts left in the hideout! The corrupted all committed suicide! They’re truly detestable.”N2Jmh7o
VXUSBut what Fernan sought didn’t appear.770wt
UBMGxUntil winter ended.M7cQHCx
bs0j5o***IGy4
3eg1When winter ended and the new semester began, new winds blew at the Academy.6ER
pLgMneThe old students left and the new ones arrived.rxREyb
mb77MThe fourth-year graduation ceremony, and the first-year entrance ceremony.NVg
tFJeK【Academy Daily – 13/02】KfYA
idnyYZ【New Students Special – The standouts from the entrance exam.gpFLg
xjkdW5— First in the Knight Department and monster slayer, Alcmion Altrierc.wlB
2YFI0— The sword prodigy, Timon Baertz.tXjW
j2hkol1— The monster of the Marquess House Fakhar, Justa Fakhar.ZLUW
t9as4j— The genius who appeared like a comet, first in the Magic Department, Abel Kalens.MpNVwm
jBz2V— The dragon of Baron House Lavre, Jeff Lavre.】AFQ5
y7jK“This year has quite a bit of talent too.”4Unfmug
TEnPLast year saw the arrival of the saint from the Cult, the daughter of a new prince-elector, the heiress of Vienderk, and even a descendant of the former imperial family.ja77q
0wsVCompared to that, this seemed inferior, but only because last year was exceptional. This year wasn’t lacking in promise either.j70oo
IFdmQ3O“The surprising part is… I thought Jeff Lavre would be first in the Magic Department.”0UGpzA
hicbFThe Baron House Lavre was a vassal of Schwaben.WfylPA
t5pMJeff Lavre was a genius recognized since childhood and received full support from Schwaben.9u9f
thy2Everyone thought he would be the top of the class, but surprisingly, an unknown took the position.vP2BvAA
nSd“What do we know about him?”oYmOVOZ
5pG6“He’s a commoner from Alprosen. Although a commoner, his father is a landowner with considerable resources. With that money, he hired private tutors and studied magic. His tutors praised him as a genius.”UYS3vV
2KLI“Then he should be better known?”F9N
nnZC“He is, but only within Alprosen. He started gaining recognition about five years ago.”oEVmk
feUBpb0The Golden Turtle Company had entered Alprosen before.IJNvIXX
bzVtZBut even so, Fernan and the Company were separate things.vbLTlav
l3cAt least until Fernan became head of the family.kcQEmUX
FFbE3Also, five years ago, Fernan had been fully dedicated to creating the Golden Pillar.3jpJBs
97Up6“In any case, investigate further. If he’s a commoner, he surely has a sponsor.”Shd42i
yHCc8U“Understood.”BJVd
OqmWith that, Fernan became a third-year student.fAs
pzf68At last, his tumultuous second year had come to an end.IfXd0PJ
eibmzmU“So, this is the guy?”ZjKPSI
MHQwYnlHyde extended a hand and pointed at a name in the paper.pcNv
5A2Ipdt“The sword prodigy, Timon Baertz.”oU6
vIOHe wasn’t a commoner like Abel Kalens, nor someone unknown to Fernan.PpzkB
N6khO3On the contrary, he was someone Fernan knew better than anyone.SlwhQI
o34x“Yes.”DQQ5it
f9enAb“So this is the corrupted? There were always rumors that the second son of Viscount Baertz’s house had great talent. I don’t know when he became one.”d0evQW6
FXqHY“We’ll have to find out now. But it’s strange. If I recall correctly, he should be the first son, not the second…”JONyRT
CtSIJust before winter break ended, another wave of prophecy fell upon Fernan.QNmwV
5dYczlThis time, there were three main visions.fZs
9gnMCmh[- The demon summoned at the Continental Academic Conference was the result of Rosalia Vienderk’s research.oXFHoY
y2bK— And that research had long been sponsored by Fernan Pellenberg. You think that’s a coincidence?8ROzTvu
00RHTV“So Fernan Pellenberg has a high probability of being corrupted?”Hw5hfD
pEX2Looking for those responsible for the conference disaster, Aint found a crucial clue.tt5
qLJ9IKV“This is…”r2TcUu
RZOo0m— It’s Fernan, without a doubt.Iziq21
WEWIt was a secret letter between Fernan and the corrupted.]uxQ
56OhHjLThe first vision showed how, due to forged and manipulated evidence, Fernan would be accused of being corrupted.wQlVXrX
Cep[“We meet again, senior.”ob5
rlh3AiyAint dropped a document.]3UP5wha
puHJ“It’s the expulsion decree. Signed by the head of House Pellenberg himself.”wD5x
pTZ“What…? Why would my father…?”AJN
Y8XqfgFernan shouted.4Hi3
i3mfY“You’ve crossed the line! Becoming a dog of the demons and helping the corrupted!”vs02Xb2
tJxiBvE“That’s slander! I never…!”FXgZ
mDU“Slander? With such clear evidence, what more can you say? Don’t humiliate yourself any further.”m3Sd7V
eqeAint’s brown eyes looked at him coldly, full of contempt.6a92v
BsJwM— A wretch who sold everything to the demons for money.
— The blood of the Pellenbergs deserves no consideration.iI0d
eLWmFBGardner sneered coldly.J7essCd
CRFnWThus came Fernan’s downfall—the thing he feared most and worked so hard to prevent.vrJ7
LCa‘…….’cb68cTC
hS2MThe first time he saw that vision, Fernan felt his heart collapse.
He nearly fainted from hyperventilation.cLc
xjM82m5But after the shock and fear came euphoria.QOPUDz
zqgAyCz‘I’m finally free! I’ve passed beyond that fate!’Yh6gXY
tmatIt was the prophecy he most wanted to avoid, and since it had not come to pass, it was now a discarded future.OtOik
YjPRtGThe book itself confirmed it—that would no longer happen.pF4u
4nY4QmkThat feeling of relief and joy was stronger than anything he had ever experienced.w8e
zzcMe3rThat night, Fernan slept soundly for the first time in a year.6vePot
nmag***s7x
E9P[Fwoosh—IVKjsI
t5H0xG5With a sharp whistle, a sword flew through the air. The loser fell to his knees, and the victor remained standing.]uGY
vfsKDN“No way…!”smbdrvm
wgELH5“Altrierc lost…?”OJ2L
9DMZ“Who the hell is that monster…?”jUw
yR7The students were stunned to see the favorite, Alcmion Altrierc, lose.lVpN9q
xpTFHYVAlcmion had trained under Royal Knight Katrina Altrierc; no one had expected his defeat.iUJx0
CQrP5gQ“The winner! Timon Baertz!”KuSXedJ
t8WePThe referee declared the victor.67g
XLwUMBut Timon was already looking beyond that victory.6h1NFp
gBdlKXyThe second vision revealed the rise of a new corrupted.5dz
zCVOCl“You must defeat Aint Armian.”BBi
b3OgA hooded man spoke.ckr
HGq“Aint’s fame grows too much with our defeats. We must stain it.”kl3I
NIyPI“I know.”Ety4oSo
ZVuIf humanity managed to unite, Aint Armian would be the central axis.eufl
XLUyuTo weaken that unity and delay it, he had to be shaken.sP1J
VmEhcv“We’ve failed several times, yes, but not in everything.”IxXSSs
QpAgzThey had only failed to kill him.jBK2QYN
fKWEyDAt the Conference, by summoning Seir, many leaders had died.dn7Ka
LanBecause of that, Vienderk carried a stain and was beginning to be isolated.GjXKTAl
dZurThey had managed to destroy Fernan and plant the seed of suspicion over Pellenberg.p5p
BaXEJX“Aint is the only one who slipped away. In everything else, we’ve succeeded.”zWeHaQ
9t0ShG“I know. Don’t worry.”fjGe1
Zo58Timon Baertz nodded calmly.3Qx
HRqM3P“With the power I have now, defeating Aint won’t be a problem.”EJgOpj
9LsM0NIt was their plan.xMJjae
Qg1TSjA patient plan—to wear him down little by little until finally cutting off his head.2lPi0hW
1imMFGW“But are you seriously saying we should assassinate Aint Armian?”3H3afg
Bdn8Ludger Schwaben’s eyes widened in shock.4xCjnab
gNJKTyWhen Aint entered the Academy, he thought it was the perfect chance to crush him and elevate Schwaben’s name.vxn6Mz
xjXKpc3If not for the demons’ appearance, he might have done it.cuLPvgn
lodVi“Assassinate Aint? And now, at this moment?”xFb
b16jQn2The plan seemed absurd to him.ciwpx
9BjYWThat was the third vision.uWGev
WBlXFCW“And what about the demons? If we don’t stop them, the continent will be destroyed! Does His Majesty want to be the last emperor of a ruined world?”UvGH
6S4r“Armian’s power will be key against the demons, yes. But even without it, it doesn’t mean we can’t hunt demons.”vgSwlpF
O7AAnd above all…UTf
uug“We already have Armian’s secret sword in our hands.”21r
K5yB4Said the assassin sent by the emperor, calmly.Cpr
7mBDIt wasn’t the prophecy Fernan expected at all.kj2
jL8cseA“…So Schwaben has finally drawn their sword.”IzRfC1F
RgofP1mThinking about it, they had held back long enough, so it wasn’t particularly surprising. It just felt like the inevitable had arrived.5uPfmv
VHYrWEven so, he thought it would happen a little later because of the demons. Maybe they thought that if they didn’t act now, they’d never get the chance?aCyUa
uBwUQThat was also true. If more demons appeared, Aint would become irreplaceable.Sr1D1
4BtiqaS‘They say they’ve obtained Armian’s secret sword style.’ohfo
yBdWDdJHe could more or less imagine how they had gotten it.CI6SS
025UAnd Fernan, knowing how pointless that was, let out an ironic laugh.4mh7IG
5km‘The real one is Gardner, after all.’Fvu
ES2k7d“…Either way, I can’t let them do as they please.”k2H
bF6If Schwaben tried to kill Aint, Pellenberg would protect him.Sbb
ZM0meRFortunately, the prophecy book also revealed the method Schwaben would use, so he had already begun preparing countermeasures.AwWo
VLDyNNB‘Though there’s nothing about Flauros. Well, there was no guarantee it would happen this year either.’Z82t
UFZWhenever it came, at least he had gained some time, and that wasn’t bad.GhmKCk3
Jd1Fernan decided to tackle the urgent matters step by step.uGW3s7g
CW3For now, it was about Timon Baertz.Z1CZ
4b0gHe had to crush his intentions, track him, and capture the other corrupted still hiding in the Academy.Cxl3oH7
RmzIf1As he thought about how to welcome him, Fernan smiled without realizing it.wRg
J2E“Why are you smiling, young master?”bEA
h8uv“Last year, reading this paper, I worried about Aint Armian. This year, it’s a damn corrupted.”NHFDcNN
w4EeQgFernan rose from his seat. Hyde followed immediately.vD24HeV
aikH6“Are you going to look for Timon Baertz?”OTJpg
snYpxs“No, I’m going to see Aint.”BvbR0
DhuYEIn truth, there was no need for him to get too involved personally.vdJPyhh
nxZLqM“Aint, Timon Baertz is suspected of being corrupted. They say he’ll try to defeat you to slowly stain your reputation.”qM0W6
nOaThat was enough.PY8q
Lp1w“…Then, when the time comes, I’ll deal with him harshly.”Gh851
UtNSnW“We need information, so don’t kill him.”orOqP7E
OY2E“Bah, even if he’s corrupted, I can be that flexible.”He4g
yhCcRAint wasn’t weak, nor lacking in fighting spirit.y9tVyn8
8S6pR‘More than anything, the current Aint is much stronger than in the prophecy.’hfD
cNwvTimon Baertz, you’re dead.k4507Ay
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