Chapter 37
5BxOw9“Good job.”PGeUT
6HyThe ship that arrived at the island belonged to the Golden Turtle Company. Hyde, who was in command of the vessel, was the one who greeted Fernan.S6Ebr
BYuk9X9“Looks like things went well.”dIFlN
7Dg“Yes. We captured the spy.”zlEY
KiH“Was he corrupted?”ZwKdr
YxAA“Yes.”3mC3
Dkves“A corrupted infiltrator in the company? That could have ended really badly.”MWToBrA
h09yh“What about the other students?”vV8q7Q
7RfJmThey had slain the sea serpent, but they couldn’t stop the broken ship from sinking.IOQPoq
rYIUThe vessel quickly plunged to the bottom of the sea, and the students were swept away in different directions by the waves.Y0hIMUh
eHGWKOTaking advantage of the chaos, Fernan, Luina, and Bella went after Aint.1xn
B3FZ“Fortunately, everyone was rescued safely.”qE7oZJO
n5LXBut Fernan had already prepared for what would happen that day. Seven ships positioned beyond the visual range of the yacht.U9VM
seO0tqZLike a surrounding net, the vessels encircled the yacht and began search operations, rescuing all the missing.Yfl
fItcwThough in truth, it was Hyde who organized everything.Q561fJD
8O1Osm“Good work.”Vpr3
0VqnG“It was nothing.”4Q5AoOo
i2UJuiLAnd he didn’t say it out of courtesy.Te8
GcfQWThe members of the Yacht Club were all children of influential families or recognized talents throughout the Empire.Ddc
Yj276IgIf even one of them had been injured, it would have been a huge problem—even if it was due to a natural disaster.cSN0
S2VxIfHumans always look for someone to blame when things go wrong.E9VfN
rCzcThe ship carrying Fernan and his group met with the other vessels that had rescued the students.KUs4y
PHS“Fernan.”DPVfa
JBpX“You alright, Ludger?”14NW9rz
LpVh“Yes. Thanks to you, I’m alive. Since when did you have those ships ready?”CjJH
eYUA“Always.”RpksCk
z4w“Always?”40HBs
J6qf“I always keep escort ships nearby, just in case. This time it was the right decision.”l5jXYP
AZc7oLudger accepted it without further comment, as if he believed it.eqc0
TkLF851“I never would’ve imagined. That a group of monsters would attack the ship like that…”iTQA
D3s“Neither would I. I’ve never heard of something like that happening since the founding of the academy.”936Zo
qwWThat in itself served as irrefutable proof—that the demons were starting to act.sQ4TL7v
KC8O9“…We’ll need to find out the cause. By the way, I’ll pay for the ship that sank.”24YY
WoU“You will?”isthl
RMBUHMFernan barely managed to maintain his expression at those unexpected words.Gr4hz9x
p4gl7i“Yes. After all, I was the one who suggested turning this club into the Yacht Club. The ship was a loan, right?”03t5uN0
ZjRZ“I remember I was the one who first mentioned the Yacht Club.”FLQfrgB
J30dJr“But I made the final decision.”wCj
jEngIt was true. Although both were from elector-prince families, in the end everyone gave weight to Ludger’s words, as he was part of the imperial line.6rHFJ
Oah4“…Well, if you’re going to pay, I won’t stop you.”deV
j3E0TTIt was a loss he could offset with future profits, but if he could avoid the loss altogether, even better.1pn
v6by6lq‘He’s definitely not a bad guy at heart.’KLOxz
lRHoThe clash with Aint was simply inevitable. Two suns cannot coexist in the same sky.fSOAi
ltFrPEven if his intentions weren’t entirely pure, from Fernan’s point of view, the one who pays calls the shots.l5SP
fNG“…I want to get back to the dorms as soon as possible. I’m sick of the sea.”4gSwV
R1K6Ludger muttered, tightening the coat around him.JsjV5fi
HoIsO***HKbfA
uhhyXuThe next day, what had happened with the Yacht Club quickly spread throughout the academy.4C4Er
1U1fpSome members, including Fernan, were summoned by the supervising professor.SWmfTc2
09nnlF9“Long time no see, Fernan.”w3UP
PFXB2tcEvery club required a professor’s approval to be founded.DBfbRVV
TgWkNThe professor who gave that approval became responsible for the club and oversaw its members.YKu
tXoY“Yes, professor.”901
u08pDominique Colsner, professor of the “Illusions and Fantasies” course in the Department of Magic, was the supervising professor of the Yacht Club.hyv
NAmMG8K“Normally I prefer to stay out of things, but this time I couldn’t.”p9VXF
W4URADj“I understand.”BOQQl
VZzgA club composed of youths from highly renowned noble families.sAui9S
79kNormally, the professor in charge was just a figurehead, but in an incident of this magnitude, he couldn’t stay idle.irOy
TjGG“I’m interviewing some students to get a full picture of what happened. Fortunately, everything ended well, but I need a clear understanding.”cXthtn
27k0jn0“Yes.”yz2mdr
STAProfessor Dominique adjusted his monocle. Through the lens, his gray pupils reflected constant melancholy.l9YPiA
xff“It was completely unexpected. Those monsters…”f7KsMV
5Nr4Ao“Sea worms and sea serpents in large numbers. It had never happened before. Good thing there were no casualties. Were backup ships a common practice?”NDN
j9C6BF“Yes.”Cadvy
B3G6kVIt wasn’t a lie.Fs7WFN
yqFzThough this time he had deployed seven ships, he usually kept at least one escort vessel just in case, without others knowing.kthfc7A
aGwhcHz“Good. Did anything else strange or unusual happen?”A58R
7NT“No.”9Mzrfrx
qWXQYEe“I’m glad. Oh, by the way, I heard you recently accepted Luina Bercheff and Aint Armian as new members.”FoDOWgK
oe72zn“Luina was invited by me, but I don’t know much about Aint.”4ONQZ6
S8HdSuS“I see. You may go.”LqRtj
IPFjU9SAfter the brief interview, Fernan went straight to the company.Hjcdz
ZdPNUdHyde greeted him with a smile.chwciq
l1f“Finished already?”FikV0
ZyGg“Were you able to track how those bastards infiltrated the company?”1g56B
8LZo“Here it is.”l774
VxvK“Interesting… No one suspected them.”MZjUG
r0dwOAnd yet, everyone treated them like co-workers. Even though they were strangers, even though they shouldn’t have been there.Gnj
ZDf“Magic?”6BPx
biIIN“It’s presumed to be mental-type magic.”DfiisGU
vBCQRf“Mental magic is a specialty of demons, right?”WRL
I6TIt was also said that manipulating souls was another skill of demons according to the records.pNigNH
9kZTThat made another doubt resurface.lrKci
D4Fpyh‘That spirit that tried to possess me—could that have been the work of demons?’ahAZ1qy
6DODH0LIt would be stupid to do something so counterproductive for them. But if it wasn’t demons, what kind of mage could use a spell that forced a spiritual possession?9lnIPCq
XBk9UMSince there was no concrete lead, he decided to set it aside for now.yGKDNN
iBeqhFernan focused on current affairs.eg0nev
XQ5X“What about the prisoner?”rDijIt
yrRM5N“He didn’t respond even under confession magic, so we locked him in the company’s underground cell.”DN63uU
R3kPZq8“Make him talk, even if you have to torture him.”7Ah
5HUlEP“Understood.”catLsd
bJPc“And send this to my father.”tDGw
ltU6Fernan sealed the reports he had already prepared and placed them in an envelope with his emblem.EQpNu
NCW“What time did you sleep last night?”tf894Yf
TDB3CZW“Time and information are money. The sooner this gets reported, the more money we earn.”wPitO
TjbPI“I’ll send it as top priority.”cgH6x
Y32“As it should be.”CKltzW
5ebJp“One last question, if I may…”DXp1m
nOTz“What is it?”nLU1xA
KVQ“The priority for naval business within the academy… was it related to this?”E9tlIz
anrYFernan shook his head.FkNBC
6lm9mtp“Don’t be ridiculous. How could I have known something like this would happen?”Hs7Wwi
r27vF“Right, of course.”ewWR
wNWOHyde accepted it, though his expression showed some doubt. Seeing the future made no sense, and if one assumed this was all part of Fernan’s plan…HHEk
FPP4OJMThat would mean he was one of the corrupted.SaNxhN
mdfXAnd Hyde knew better than anyone that his master couldn’t be one of them.v8UB4bU
T5sv“Then I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”3eQ
dBc9sFf“Alright.”pXRDj
zeZVTuDHyde left. Fernan, already accustomed to the routine, pulled out design plans and began writing.HdS7
FA2JTUHe didn’t know when he’d next receive a vision of the future, but for now that the danger had passed, it was time to fully dedicate himself to golem design.9kC
IVdPvU***0bQQJv
nCVL“…This is driving me crazy.”tP63
6PGBella Hoenne chewed on her sweet parfait.VqH
rmsC3nG“I feel like I’ve stepped into a swamp I can’t get out of. It’s really disturbing.”Krm
QogDv“Bella, you look really happy right now.”EOeh8CW
M5N“It’s the sugar. It’s the sugar.”fmTZ
xjTIgVMBut it wasn’t a lie that she felt disturbed.e0Rr5xR
nPf6To be honest, when Luina asked her for help, she hesitated a lot. But once she saw a corrupted person with her own eyes, the feeling was completely different.VWgX5K
DQhqzNC“And you? Doesn’t it affect you at all?”y29oUFL
StS8sO“It’s not my first time.”f964Vhl
WathdIC“Right, you mentioned that before. But still… how can you stay so calm even if it isn’t your first time?”BPBr
jdr11LRAre they corrupted? Bella swallowed the last part, aware of the gazes around them.3n3a6Wk
twNH2“And why doesn’t Fernan report this directly to the academy? Shouldn’t they take action?”xSwpB
pjpiw“He said he’s still not sure who’s an enemy and who’s an ally.”XuPHo
6H0“That makes sense…”KWWW99a
uLhf2She herself had been infected with corrupted magic without doing anything out of the ordinary in her daily life.VIQSEIg
sDw4k53It wasn’t possible unless there were corrupted people infiltrated in the academy.DWoJD1p
zgTZZms“So, what’s the plan?”Tzu
aMdFN00“For now, I trust Fernan.”Cway
KTNeJust from what he’d shown them so far, he gave reasons to be trusted. He had handled Verian’s case well, and now this too.xazu
okuL“And since when have you been working with Fernan? Since you became partners?”L8xU
yYaPf1N“Yes.”t9F
fQc4nv“I thought something was off, but now everything makes sense.”R7V4
nhS“…What are you talking about?”mwcgb
C4e“Well, to be honest, even though you gave me an explanation, I wasn’t completely convinced.”lzoAzRV
m8CThat Luina, who couldn’t even get along with the Pellenbergs, became Fernan’s partner.4gt
sMXUShe said it was for grades with no personal feelings involved, and while it was true she had been hiding her real level, it was still hard to fully believe.7QnY
uOyTrfkShe only accepted the story because it came from Luina, but the doubts had never fully gone away.sxEkAx
zSBUX“But if it’s about fighting the corrupted, that changes everything. I know how you are.”qjA4f
XapZOBaA model knight with a strong sense of justice.Jeqd
ASxjGN3If they had joined forces to face the corrupted, it made perfect sense.pKD
U8lJI6“…That’s not it.”rLTpnv
8ojM4It wasn’t. But Luina didn’t have the heart to shatter her friend’s illusion by telling the truth: that she had accepted because of money.QFGlMh
r61p“…Yeah. That’s it.”S1rryW
664“I knew it! The idiots saying you’d been bought should know the truth.”IIgiS
8ZF“…Y-Yeah, you’re right.”JXok
ek0vRdIn the end, Luina could only offer a kind lie.Cvo
soWg***e2hUne
O1qFor Aint Armian, everything felt like a dream.OiUm7aJ
00Gjl“Out of nowhere, a group of sea monsters attacked the ship, a corrupted one tried to kill me, I decided to cooperate with senior Fernan…”QdCBcu
KJyH31PIt all happened like an overwhelming wave. All he had done was go with the flow.o99
E79Z— But in the end, it was for the best.EXpy
SUlThat was true.VTZ
AOrThanks to Fernan, Aint had managed to escape a life-threatening situation, obtained the First Emperor’s will, and could now speak openly about the demons.VxV
VNHw“Also, senior Luina…”oXV
laE— Tsk, that’s not important right now.GPia8
u4rHRBut putting that aside, Luina Bercheff’s abilities were much greater than he had imagined.d1OQv
lNYWIf she became a reliable ally, she would be a great support.KHelz
h8DEP4H“But… is that true? That several people have already been tainted by the corrupted?”NNZI
PWDK— Likely. In fact, that Bella girl showed clear signs of having been infected by corrupted magic and recovering from it.SyN
2jIAnd that was the most obvious proof.ZSFhJ9
B5Z6Pp— It has to be stopped. At all costs.932m
5LIYBIn the past, there had also been people contaminated by corrupted magic.fpv0J
MSbThey showed no anomalies, but once they came into contact with a catalyst, they went completely mad.66K9
jHLu4“Catalyst?”ErGucq
7vxrCdN— It’s a kind of spell used by demons. When activated, it causes the infected to lose control and attack indiscriminately.LdZ1
9X9oTSZ— At first, we couldn’t even react. After all, they were just humans being used by the demons.Ehk
rlp“So if something like that happens, there’s no way to stop it?”d3nm9Oz
P8j— Only the first time. After that, it became easier. The previous emperor handled everything.7Zh
lWzC— And you can do it too, Aint.30urYP
2CwEThe Armian family’s swordsmanship was the natural opposite of demonic power. It even had the ability to purify corrupted magic from others’ bodies.76miT
Z8jG“Then shouldn’t I go out now and start purifying corrupted magic throughout the city…?”Z5vT
GIaR— Did you forget what that rich idiot said? You can’t act recklessly if you don’t know who the corrupted are.LXUt57F
mFY6That’s why Fernan had asked him to stay quiet for the time being.0btzQme
F4A— For now, it’d be better if you went to meet the person that rich guy introduced you to. What you can do alone is very limited.bgEB
YYI— If you can’t act immediately, then prepare for what’s to come.UHqaL
XT2“Got it.”KPgkQ
HfpBefore parting ways with Fernan, Aint had been introduced to someone.L6qA
lTMh“As a sign of trust, I’ll introduce you to a reliable partner. It’ll be good for you to have an ally from your same year when facing the corrupted.”wNFs8O
mp31And it wasn’t just anyone, but someone quite skilled. Aint got ready and headed to the Ravidus building.nHg
PELhvGQUsing the emblem Fernan had given him, he requested an audience and waited. Soon, someone appeared.4PmqY
9Oglq2“…Aint Armian?”mng3
AZPThe face of his next companion, Verian Kalburdern, twisted immediately.1nF
oscpF“…What are you doing here? And where’s senior Fernan?”Jw2
fCbFOwHonestly, when he heard it for the first time, he couldn’t believe it. He knew how much Verian hated him.ekL
piynBut Fernan had been blunt.Uvo5hxj
QDN“Don’t worry. In the end, that guy will have no choice but to become your ally.”oNoH9
5uI1GX“Don’t know how to convince him? I’ll teach you the magic word that’ll make him follow you.”U9wk
jMyRZb“Verian.”wVTT5dM
zUvosAint spoke his name in a low voice.cgD8M
Y6x4w“I was the one who called you. Not senior Fernan.”AAAY
0dWpE2“What nonsense are you talking about? How did you get that emblem…?”z8Mw49J
Vro6t“You.”zT7f
UusMAint stepped closer until he was just a step away from Verian and whispered in his ear.fJX5vv
OMEWkFs“They say you were corrupted, right?”f0awQv
DUbNv“…What?”BhmxL
1sUVerian’s face turned completely pale.WlSUd
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