Chapter 38

“What the hell is going on here?!”

After returning to the Ravidus building after class, Fernan was met with an uninvited—though not unexpected—visitor.

“What’s the matter, Verian?”

Apparently, Aint had followed the instructions well.

“Don’t play dumb! Why did you tell Aint about me?”

“And is that a problem?”

“What do you mean, is it a problem?! Are you seriously asking that?!”

“Verian Kalburdern. Who do you think you’re raising your voice to?”

Even though he understood the situation and Verian’s frustration, it was still necessary to reinforce the hierarchy.

As Fernan frowned, Verian’s body instinctively stiffened.

“…Sorry. But still…”

“But what?”

“Didn’t we sign a contract stating that you wouldn’t talk to anyone about that? In return, I’d follow all your orders.”

“You’re mistaken.”

Fernan leaned back in his chair.

“Excuse me?”

“The contract stated that you wouldn’t suffer any harm because of that matter.”

“And what does that mean?”

“When you sign a contract, read each clause carefully, Verian Kalburdern.”

A contract can be sharper than a sword or more secure than a fortress.

A single word can be the difference between heaven and hell.

“In any case, consider yourself lucky that this time the contract doesn’t have any harmful clauses for you.”

“Are you saying that revealing I was corrupted by demonic mana isn’t harmful?”

Verian’s expression clearly screamed: What kind of nonsense is that? And Fernan understood it.

Without knowing the future, it was reasonable to think that way.

“Listen closely, Verian Kalburdern.”

“I’ve been listening for a while…!”

“It might be a problem with someone else, but not with Aint.”

“…And what’s that based on?”

“Both of you are isolated in your respective departments. I want you two to overcome that together.”

And if, along the way, they defeated the corrupted, conquered demons, and saved the world—even better.

That way, Fernan wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

“You’re saying that even after what I went through?”

“Does that matter?”

“Then what does?”

“That I have the record of the moment you were corrupted, and it’s in my possession.”

“…”

Verian shut his mouth.

“And that, if I wanted, that record could end up in the hands of the inquisitors.”

“…What if Aint reports me to them instead?!”

“He won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Because Fernan had read his story in the prophecy book and understood his character.

Through the record, Aint clearly understood that Verian was a victim too. And he wasn’t foolish enough to make an enemy of someone who could be an ally.

Besides, Verian had been sent by Fernan. Betraying him would also damage his relationship with Fernan.

“That object on your neck is called a head, Verian. Use it.”

“…What?”

“I’ll just say this—Aint Armian is already pursuing other corrupted. If you stay close, sooner or later, you’ll meet the one who did this to you.”

He couldn’t guarantee when, but Aint was definitely the hero who attracted demons wherever he went.

“…You’re saying he already knows about the corrupted?”

“Yes.”

“And the one who did this to me…?”

“You don’t really believe you were infected for no reason, do you?”

“…Can I catch them?”

“Of course.”

For a moment, Verian’s eyes burned with rage.

“…What exactly do you want from me?”

“Stay with Aint for your entire time at the academy. Then I’ll destroy the record.”

“Understood.”

Anyway, Fernan wasn’t going to accept a no, and he couldn’t go back on what he’d told Aint.

Verian’s gaze grew resolute.

“Now you look like a proper person.”

Thus, Aint Armian gained his first companion.

One very different from those mentioned in the prophecy book.

***

The next morning, Fernan received a letter from his father.

It could’ve been about mithril, adamantite, golems, demons, or the corrupted… but it was none of those.

[There has been a negotiation between the Fridian family and the Imperial Academy of Armian.]

[Fridian will deliver large quantities of World Tree leaves, spirit stones, etc., in exchange for…]

[These are very valuable goods. Therefore, the Golden Turtle Company was officially entrusted with their transport…]

Fernan’s eyes stopped at the end of the letter.

[The Fridian family has requested that you be responsible for it.]

“Hm.”

Fernan tapped his fingers on the desk.

In short, the Fridian family and the academy had made a deal. In return, they would hand over World Tree leaves, spirit stones, and the like.

Fridian had entrusted the transport to the Golden Turtle Company. And requested Fernan Pellenberg as the person in charge.

‘The first three things make sense.’

The Fridian family was still considered an outsider among imperial nobility, so it wasn’t strange for them to pull strings. Entrusting it to the empire’s largest company also made sense.

But the last part didn’t.

‘Why me, specifically?’

It was true that Fernan had earned his fame young through his work in administration.

But he wasn’t the only competent one in the company.

‘They said if I can’t take responsibility, they at least want me to accompany the transport. Am I really that important?’

He found no clear answer.

He stored the letter and left. His morning class was about to begin.

Today was “Studies on Magical Creatures and Monsters,” a joint class between the Magic and Knight Departments.

The class was held in the indoor coliseum, not the regular classroom. A wide space with ten platforms, ideal for duels and festivals.

The professor hadn’t arrived yet, and the students were paired off, chatting.

Fernan sat beside Luina.

“You’re late.”

“The professor isn’t here yet.”

“The professor is the one who’s late.”

True. A minute had already passed.

“I arrived just on time. That’s not being late.”

“You should learn the virtue of punctuality.”

“Time is a valuable resource that shouldn’t be wasted.”

Luina slightly furrowed her brow but said nothing more.

Soon after, the professors and assistants entered through the main door.

“We’re a bit late, so let’s take roll immediately.”

Second-year professor of “Studies on Magical Creatures and Monsters,” Balmon Atra, quickly took attendance. No one was absent.

“As I mentioned last time, today’s topic is cooperation.”

Tap tap tap. With a gesture, words appeared on the board.

“There are monsters and creatures that can’t be fought alone. Some have extremely tough hides that weapons can’t penetrate. Others have high magic resistance. And some are just too strong, or you’re too weak.”

“Let’s set aside the unsolvable cases. What’s important is how to deal with the others—those that are natural enemies of either a knight or a mage.”

Each magical creature or monster has its own characteristics, and knowing their weaknesses is vital.

“That’s why you’re taking this class, and why second-year students are paired for joint sessions.”

Since the great war against the demons, cooperation between knights and mages had become the standard not only in the empire, but across the continent.

“Could you bring it out, please?”

“Gladly.”

Hack hack. The professor of “Golem Magic,” Harcon Pallas, stepped forward coughing.

“I doubt any of you are unfamiliar with this. Maybe it’s your first time using them, but you’ve definitely seen them before.”

—!

A slight tremor filled the area. Heavy footsteps approached, and ten training golems entered the coliseum.

“These are the academy’s official class golems.”

The size and shape of the golems varied. Each one mimicked a different monster or magical creature.

The basic structure was made up of various alloys, and several magical circles and enchanted inscriptions could be seen etched on their surfaces.

Since capturing real monsters for every class wasn’t feasible, these substitutes, called “dummies,” were created—and Fernan knew them well.

After all, his family also had some.

“So those are the famous dummies.”

“First time seeing them?”

“I’ve heard of them, but this is my first time seeing them in person.”

“They were made by the Temple. They faithfully replicated the characteristics and traits of each monster using magic.”

But the most important thing was something else.

“And they’re damn expensive.”

At the academy’s request, the Temple—regarded as the best in magical arts on the continent—had created these dummies sparing no resources or cost.

That’s why they were incredibly expensive. Although worth every coin. They were so durable that an average student couldn’t even scratch them.

‘Though they’re not perfect.’

Despite accurately replicating the monsters’ characteristics, they couldn’t move organically.

For that reason, a mage usually controlled them directly. In the end, they were still a kind of golem.

“Well, at this point, you all know what to do, right?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

“Even though everyone will participate eventually, is there any pair who wants to go first?”

Usually, the wisest thing in these kinds of practices was to observe a bit before acting.

“I want to go first.”

“…Luina?”

Before Fernan could stop her, Luina had already stepped forward with firm strides.

Seeing her expression, Fernan realized—rarely—she was excited.

“Luina Bercheff and Fernan Pellenberg. Good attitude. Nine more pairs, please.”

Fernan, dragged out alongside her against his will, muttered.

“What are you doing?”

“I always get excited facing new enemies. I’ve never fought a Temple dummy before.”

“It’s not that big a deal. If you get your hopes too high, you’ll end up disappointed.”

Even though those dummies replicated monsters and magical creatures well, they were still controlled by humans.

So realistic movements shouldn’t be expected.

“That’s a bit disappointing.”

As they talked, the other pairs also stepped forward.

“Hm?”

Fernan tilted his head at who he saw. Ludger and Almon, Carlo and Alia, Daisy and…

They were all the highest-level pairs.

‘Competition?’

Their gazes were fixed on Fernan and Luina. That was probably it.

“This just got more interesting.”

Luina noticed too, smiling faintly.

“Step onto your designated platforms.”

Once each pair was on their platform, the dummies were placed in front of them.

Fernan clicked his tongue when he saw their opponent—a hulking figure over three meters tall.

“Luina, Fernan. Your opponent will be a Goliath-type dummy. What are the Goliath’s characteristics?”

The Goliath was a monster that, once matured, stood nearly three meters tall and was completely covered in rock.

‘We got a tough one.’

“Its body is made of hard stone, so it’s difficult to inflict physical damage. On top of that, its brute strength is devastating.”

“Correct.”

And it didn’t have low magical resistance either.

Its body resembled a mixture of rock and metal, so it could withstand quite powerful spells.

“Its physical and magical resistance is high. Still, it’s not impossible to defeat. If you’ve paid attention in class, you should be able to beat it with relative ease.”

“The same goes for the other monsters. Each has its own traits and weaknesses. Fight with that in mind.”

“By the way, all the dummies have been upgraded by the Temple. If you fight like they’re ordinary monsters, you’ll be in for a rough time. So be careful.”

Once the professor finished, he gave the order to begin the battle, and the dummies’ eyes started to glow.

“Luina, you know what to do, right?”

“I’ll hold it off. In the meantime, aim for the nape.”

The Goliath’s weak point was the back of the neck. Its coverage there was thinner, so a well-placed blow could be decisive.

“No, I’ll restrain it. You aim for the weak spot.”

“That’s not…”

At that moment, the dummy struck the ground forcefully.

In a blink, the Goliath closed the distance and threw a punch directly at Fernan.

─!

There was a loud crash. But between the fist and Fernan was a sword covered in aura—and a knight holding it.

“Is this how you plan to distract it?”

Without waiting for a reply, Luina struck the Goliath’s arm with her sword. A loud clang was heard, but the dummy didn’t seem affected.

At that moment, a shower of sand and earth began to fall all over it.

“Who said I was going to distract it?”

Magical circles appeared one after another. Rocks, gravel, sand, and soil rained down as if there were no tomorrow.

Soon, the entire battlefield was covered, and the dummy completely buried.

“I meant to immobilize it. Literally.”

Under normal conditions, Fernan couldn’t have stopped a dummy that fast.

But in the confined space of the coliseum, it was enough to fill everything until it couldn’t move.

Even if his magical control wasn’t exceptional, he had consumed countless tonics from a young age as a good merchant, giving him an immense mana pool.

─!

──!

The earth and rocks, guided by his will, clung to the dummy’s body, trapping and solidifying around it.

The Goliath dummy struggled to break free, but the more it moved, the more it became stuck—like being caught in hardened quicksand.

And finally—

“…I didn’t think you’d use this method.”

Trapped in mud, sand, and magically hardened rock, the dummy could no longer move. It only emitted creaks like a damaged golem.

“It’s the simplest and safest method. Anyone can do it if they have enough mana.”

You just had to pour all your magic onto it without pause.

“…Isn’t that the hardest part?”

“Now finish it.”

Luina stepped forward decisively and stabbed the Goliath in the nape. The magic circle activated, and the dummy powered down.

“Fernan and Luina. Time to defeat the Goliath dummy: 53 seconds.”

The assistant, surprised, announced the time.

Naturally, it was first place.

“…That fast?”

“Is that even possible?”

“Wow, that’s insane…”

“How much mana does that guy have?”

“He’s definitely not paired with Luina by coincidence…”

Passionate comments and intense stares fell on Fernan, who simply ignored them. In fact, if given a bit more time, he could’ve won by conventional means too. But he chose this method because—

“Impressive. I thought I’d seen all your sides since we became partners, but you still manage to surprise me.”

Though—

“…It’s a shame. I wanted to fight directly. But well, we won, so it’s fine.”

To win the favor of Luina Bercheff, who aimed to be the best, eh?

“…A shame?”

That reaction didn’t sound all that pleased.