Chapter 223
xkV4cWhat the hell is going on?kSKis
4URLGnvValoshi Vienderk was confused.NEBVo
SmkG0Until just recently, everything had been a cheerful festival. The fireworks meant to crown the celebration lit up the sky beautifully.Zk3AXF
bczeLBut it didn’t take long for it to turn into hell.goRKL
6OKDiThe Saintbird transformed into a peacock, and a demon descended.gBf
y8DyZDLValoshi didn’t know how to react.VNy
shfaWas he supposed to face a demon without the chancellor present? Wouldn’t it be better to flee?hXw
wZHGsHe had no intention of risking his life in a losing battle.PXevYn
rm0s4ZpBut he couldn’t keep hesitating. He saw Professor Grad charging directly at the demon.JJnF
tTpzM‘If it’s Professor Grad…’VEQG
oGMzHe was a Royal Knight. Most people didn’t know, but there were those who did.K4muF
zq4ODVz‘Kimaris was also defeated by the border count Bercheff and the Mercenary King.’6am
fIsBjVEven if the chancellor wasn’t there, the Academy had dozens of professors.lLR2TWN
T6GlHmQAll were strong enough to stand out anywhere on the continent. With a Royal Knight at their side, it would be enough to defeat a demon.ZmKF1
PNld“And besides, I could confirm with my own eyes if the power of Armian is real.”Ibwj
pNdUntil now, he’d only heard about it in rumors. He couldn’t pass up the chance to see it for himself.EGsYVxW
LVSKDHowever—mTAVDL
6yli‘Where are the professors? And Aint?’Nyd9
Q3eRyContrary to what he expected, the only ones fighting the demon were Professor Grad, Luina Bercheff, and Jace Vines.2XL
qPoDvy6No sign of the other professors. No sign of Aint, the supposed natural enemy of demons. Something was wrong.l9fK
MXqIeH‘The corrupt planned something.’lIxe
z3tce1A chill ran down his back. They had to find Aint and the professors.nGP12m
s3Tc8kEBut where?APCly3r
rZU6aTMonsters were everywhere. The demonic magic released by the enemy clouded his senses.ZvrURj
cDl“Valoshi Vienderk?”VQQ
6qG“Senior Almon. Is that Prince Ludger?”B32ZD
cr5IU“Yes, he was exposed to demonic magic and lost consciousness for a moment. Where were you headed?”huSC
8pG“I was looking for the professors, since they’re nowhere to be found.”lmF7v
dFrhB“That’s odd… But can you at least escort us to the infirmary? I’m carrying the prince and can’t fully protect him.”ygdYWjL
QNNM“Of course.”XI0B
eoWKWhile searching for the professors, Valoshi had come across Almon, Ludger, and Ahgrot.7Yhz
BOgQTELHe couldn’t refuse Almon’s request to help escort the prince, so he joined them for a while.eyzL
v72ovcmThen, a flash of icy energy appeared in his vision.9dqC
sg0“Sister?”1qzn5Q5
yB8X4Hadn’t she left with Fernan Pellenberg outside the Academy?ma4CG
oM2yDQmAnd right after that—psIB
tEoAHolBoom!bMzdj6S
gHiZvAn incomparably loud roar shook the sky as a golem fell from above.od2CPnS
EC0WLI0— Grrrrroooaaar!FO4hfTQ
WFFRXIt crushed the demon and roared.TCxeB3
ulhAt that incredible sight, Valoshi understood.MY17
QMq‘There’s something more.’6TW8Sp
IHwHis sister wasn’t the type to run from a demon.LiKdFRn
ejIShe had always been firm, even against their fearsome father—firm enough to negotiate with him and leave the family.Vlq
KqOc8And with no support, she had become the youngest professor at the Academy.XY8
RaAK‘Then, her goal must be…’W2HNh
bpkcSooner or later, Rosalia would return to the family. How was he supposed to receive her when she did?7x3
L6BrzWith a smile? With tears? With anger, resentment, or regret?Eld
m8rQQmTHis heart was in chaos.wyO
oVAlq85Whatever the case, if Rosalia had left the demon behind to go somewhere else, she must have had a good reason.MtFEpi
8eYiGv‘Did she find the professors?’fk6KVo
P007Or maybe Aint.AGgm3n
fKTkUGXWith that thought, he realized he was already following Rosalia’s mana trail.K0zxrMQ
Pl0N***XG59KQu
53aSi4“W-why a betrayal…?”r53
66b93Plop—ZEP
dhGGakThe last assistant, who had held out until the end, collapsed to the ground with eyes wide open.ibnRFx
JpTFinding the missing professors after the demon’s descent seemed like a success—but it was a trap.nojrLg
ygOBHe hadn’t just taken down the professors—he had also taken down the assistants.Snj5sDg
y8OL0rThe one they trusted the most.VwN
GpDX“The word betrayal is only used for those who were ever on the same side.”i1lwxd
ODJm3Dominique personally closed the unconscious assistant’s eyes.NNYw1fl
trLbD0“I was never on the side of humans.”ImVfD
aml3On the top floor of Ravidus Hall, Professor Dominique had forced dozens of professors and assistants into an artificial sleep.zUvg
QIEAxHe calmly walked out, sat on a chair, and poured himself tea. He added sugar and milk, stirring it slowly as he observed the scene he had created.YZ5nY7O
NwD4Jut“How beautiful.”Zlf1
ib7A blackened sky.RIzZr
SrenxeKAndrealphus unleashed.b6u
1iPbMonsters raining down in droves.poj
fyH3Screams and death everywhere.WGZPSoj
yVyZThe Academy crumbling.Ll1TqwM
MkmdvPThis was what he had been preparing for over ten years.orDz7
nW6GNThe fall of the Academy. Turning the Empire’s cradle into its grave.6lZd
Mtif4soThe professors would die as if in peaceful sleep, and the Academy would be destroyed.aH2l
qHwThe Empire would lose its future generations and take a long time to recover.RNval
Xmir“And I even got rid of Fernan Pellenberg…”OBWlp0
1wPWhen everything was over, he’d just need to finish off Aint alongside Andrealphus.gDMkuQ
0J7FBDDAlthough some plans had gone awry, everything was still nearly perfect.roZ2h
PGoSo he believed.QxhTwc
HtEJgJ8— Kwoooong!B7iX1
3TrUntil a gigantic golem fell from the sky.yxfj
voyj4mLUntil it struck and crushed Andrealphus.HuQjx2
BXlhu1“…Huh?”p8S
FmA17The freshly served tea overflowed from the cup. But Dominique didn’t stop it.5HKGdfy
HFhR“…A Saintbird?”HW3
B9QLhYIn the sky was a majestic bird, with two pairs of wings, the sacred symbol of the Empire.t2Pao
dyi“Why…?”PJXN
6y8OThe golem had jumped from its back.neR5
wkgUWwnWasn’t that Saintbird Aint’s? Then what was that golem? Had Aint created it?M5Dki9R
Dxy9tNo, impossible.1uuIM
CeMd9fmAint was hopeless with magic. He couldn’t even construct a simple magic circle, let alone a golem.kiJwlrz
yMcvxAnd yet… that golem looked strangely familiar.T9S
6cvoriH“A necklace?”McA
7vDKQwsYes. It was the necklace. The same one Fernan Pellenberg always wore around his neck.ItcF
pnmPj7“Fernan Pellenberg?”QgIY
cdYDQnHad he returned alive?E9X
tG1bDominique jumped to his feet. The cup and teapot fell to the floor.illm
9sxImpossible. He had sent Flauros after him. Even if crude, his strength was undeniable. How could he have lost?ixk
Bq9ufNo matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find an answer.1p3ufc
SafbEven with a golem like that, and even adding Rosalia, Flauros shouldn’t have fallen.5SBC1
2UIU6gThat was how he had planned it all.nGUZ
FKirpThen why? How?wup8f4x
ZMMzf“Why are you here, Professor Rosalia?”cwheRf
jX6Dominique snapped his head around. At the end of the hallway, someone walked slowly toward him, and their eyes met.Crxz
18u1I“Is it strange for a professor to be at the Academy?”j1acv
mApwU“Isn’t it strange that a human who should’ve been devoured down to the last scrap of flesh is still alive?”ybMv0cX
vJ4“So you admit you’re the one behind all this. I was uncertain. The Professor Dominique I knew wouldn’t do something like this, but now I can feel the demonic magic.”cDs
NigduhqScrape— Professor Rosalia dragged a chair, sat in front of him, and looked him straight in the eye.PMQ7
3W2J7sl“Sit down. How long are you going to make me look up at you?”RsNSsZ
N94IXWR“I’ve always thought you were truly fascinating, Professor Rosalia. Alright, I have many questions too.”DQ9D
iKGQ8GDominique snapped his fingers. The broken cup reassembled and reappeared in front of him. He poured tea and added milk.RfYc
w7u65aGRosalia, watching, brought a cigarette to her lips.3Q032SN
D84ip“Since when?”n3anN
5f60QwF“From the beginning.”GOeFI
nrjpiI“You’ve been a corrupt from the start?”Q0xn
fp5Zp“You seem to be making a mistake.”76YY
AvBarDominique smiled calmly.ccSj8I
Q2lgv“I’m not a mere corrupt.”W3cv09
qSe3“……!”XA7Fu
YFSGUAFor the first time, Rosalia’s face faltered.1uGog
GKwUod“So you can make that face too, Professor.”B6tq
NPq01“You… what are you?”VhPelh
bRnEVSE“That, you’d best hear from Aint Armian. I think he’ll survive this battle.”jHXk
UoYvRuu“What…?”zzD
0nPRA0“The truth is…”GNfA
iZ2ZODominique paused, took a sip of his milk tea, and continued.sz3r
RnJLn“Today is the result of a plan I’ve worked on for a very long time, though things got accelerated.”0T3
WiR7qBecause of Fernan Pellenberg and Aint Armian.6RS
JiXiu“According to plan, this was supposed to happen two years from now. And yet, everything fell apart again because of those two.”nWv
mod“For someone like that, you seem pretty calm.”Di5j7j
txAOKcC“Do I really seem that way?”X7mOF
KG2PBMThen you’re gravely mistaken.Xefpt
5lL6lHe brushed his face, and in an instant, his expression changed.SVrp
ntSRage, confusion, rage, confusion, rage, confusion, rage.o1AArX
NVmb6eAn extreme mixture of fury and disbelief. Something impossible to see in the Professor Dominique Rosalia once knew.9MrbAJF
HfF65W6The demonic magic pouring from him was so suffocating that even Rosalia felt a chill.RNa
wLnubjiSaying he wasn’t a mere corrupt was, indeed, the truth.DEG
jVYzi“Right now, I’d like to tear apart not just you, but everything around me—and yet, I’m holding back.”MA02c
lLsSH“Out of curiosity?”dgUGFs
6oFzv“Let’s say yes.”9MSAFUO
KBgmwWill you answer my questions?N72
1lcOFpf“What happened to Flauros?”FAE
6zG03C“What do you think?”8W9y
Gr0“A meaningless question.”BBF8
fYBeqThe mere fact that Fernan’s golem was here already spoke for the outcome. And Rosalia would never leave a defeated demon alive.W4iMV
LCH“Then I’ll ask something else. How did you kill him? It’s not that I underestimate the professor, but with your level, it was impossible to defeat Flauros.”pCThG
6fI8jHo“Fernan had a good artifact.”aifH
8pO54o“Yes, I can see that. But it’s not enough. Not with that golem, not with you, not even with Fernan together.”N5spq
zxiJsClick. Rosalia lit her cigarette.xUN
PRr38“And are you so sure of that? We’re standing here, aren’t we?”7jRH
mM0GIt was true. Fernan, Wooden, and Rosalia were strong, but even so, they weren’t enough to completely contain a demon.iLxTO
j91U6That was why they were demons—the ones who had terrorized the continent a thousand years ago.ACJW
aPFZBut Fernan had something else. That would be the fatal mistake of Dominique and the demons.5pux
av7O“You’re hiding something. What is it?”fmwc1n
WGU“And why would I tell you?”IdhxxU
O14“For the camaraderie of colleagues who worked together at the Academy?”CNuGqr3
Y5QJ“What an absurd joke. Aren’t you the one trying to kill all the professors?”QbdBNCl
gEK“Precisely out of camaraderie, I left them like that. So they’d die in their sleep, painlessly. I had the courtesy to care about that.”8IWc
fYzDominique smiled again. He stood up from the chair.piE0cWY
WKRT“It’s been a pleasure, professor.”UP7hdr
KaMKLX“Where do you think you’re going?”3fk2Axb
3iKv1“If you and Fernan are here, it means my plan has failed. Flauros must be dead, and with that unknown thing, even Andrealphus will end the same.”rdKpLn
xIIqddAnd then there was Aint.qtHsM0R
FjXlfwJust as he finished speaking, Aint appeared riding the Saintbird, diving toward Andrealphus.p81tDdz
D3W“Well now…”M4cS
nmrlDominique clicked his tongue.S5m6Qz
yUIuYo“Nothing’s going right. I waited so long for this moment, only for it to end so pathetically.”UOQ
xocOCpK“And now you’re planning to run away?”2Q1zNzy
qGDnU“I’m not the kind to stubbornly cling to failure.”qAhT
BIT6h“Nothing will go your way in the end.”5tw9mZ
Phu1nPCrack—vvTLBN
Vhtnx3Dominique’s feet froze solid.ge01
jjjn“You’re not getting away.”Y3ghq
mgE“This reminds me of that time in the library, when you froze me, professor. Well, technically it wasn’t me, but still…”0pn
GUUsKq“What are you…?”YLzYOGQ
F57wCrash— Dominique shattered the ice with ease, and his body dissolved into an illusion.Wbx
XwO“Stop!”23lx
OMtE6An icy storm surged after him, but the body vanished again.WULdE
mU7XulAnd then—JJ0TQ
yQCxTJ──!tJw
Jm1EFIHis staff clashed with a sword. The blurry figure of Dominique regained its true form.JbG5
iSa“Student Luina.”vVxPN8
b9CwZKS“I’ll eliminate you here and now, demon Dantalion.”tsQxm
PIbThe voice of the sword-wielder roared with fury.FVxi
eohLNW“Luina?”GVGL
FhzEvzaLuina Bercheff. Champion of the jousting tournament and, aside from the professors, one of the most dangerous figures in the Academy.YlRm9
gsrKsAnd right after, another appeared—someone Dominique feared as much as Aint.sWb
0CZ“Where do you think you’re going, professor?”J0KVu6
AoBOcAfter leaving the Academy in ruins.DWK4NIW
HnNZ“You have to pay compensation before you leave.”uba
6GuHow much money from House Pellenberg had been invested in the Academy?tfb0
kdDevtWith a murderous expression, Fernan stepped forward toward him.9l4x
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