Chapter 40
x14QEven though he had thrown junk everywhere and shards of shattered mirrors rolled across the floor, his rage hadn’t subsided.z2gG
hpQh“Damn it… Why is it always…?”gQKS
nrSqFernan ran a hand through his hair in frustration.6rtM
JvnmOuJAgain. Once again, a prophecy had tied itself to him. And not in a positive way.AQP5u6
CCfrZ“So this is how I end up becoming Aint’s enemy…”Zatj
z5iTIt made no sense for him to become Aint’s enemy just for demanding fair repayment of a debt from Luina.i0GuXg
dMciqeYThere was no sufficient reason for that to lead to his downfall.ZS7b7s
hHRILinFernan knew his father well. He would never expel him from the family over something so trivial.sMx0QpZ
48NHBut now he understood.lCSSd
DhnvCu‘I thought the Yacht Club incident was just a coincidence at first.’XBcyqhs
3gCBut if something happens twice, it stops being coincidence.XaN
ontmThis was a trap. A trap aimed directly at Fernan — at the Pellenberg family itself.gLZ6
W6q1By being associated with demons, the family would be at risk if they didn’t expel the implicated heir.jHY7
XuFMzMnNo matter how powerful an electoral prince house was, there was no place for coexistence with demons in the Empire. It was a real possibility.GJSGR
PBU8sThe problem was, it was all based on a misunderstanding. Fernan gave a bitter smile at his reflection in the half-broken full-length mirror.x4t15QQ
hu47ZOn“How pathetic you look, Fernan Pellenberg.”G3renw
eZAFgiuActing as if money could move the entire world, and yet you were being used by a demon without even realizing it, headed straight for ruin.mhU4T
th7He laughed. How could he not? He felt so ridiculous — the rage he felt toward demons was overwhelming.Pi2fqFn
CZmbB“…Fine. Let’s see who wins.”wtFiC
8wIZtaYou or me.VeBjcDU
ehu8wJA drop of blood slid from his split lip.jOc9e
VsjU9***UgM4
8rBTr5Summoning a demon wasn’t easy.XVVFgEL
LqpbP0JTearing through the dimensional barrier required an enormous amount of energy. The more powerful the being, the harder it was.dp16KI
VqUZAnd if it was one of the 72 demons, there was no need to say more.EMu6Gz
tPrFernan had assumed they would use students as vessels, draining their vitality and mana.daD
CNklsAaBut that wasn’t it.jTVLu
pcX“The World Tree sprout. That was it.”BcgL
xVr8Using a World Tree sprout to summon a demon — there couldn’t be a more demonic idea.XSm3H
dSU2ef“It must be stopped.”NPf
FdwR9IFNormally, he’d have had no reason to risk his life stopping a demon summoning.r6Z
I8G9The appearance of a demon was serious, but it wasn’t something he could realistically prevent.BET
f0BEven if one was summoned, so what? Aint Armian would eliminate it. The best course for Fernan would be to profit while minimizing damage.2lem
sVny0sGThat was what he used to think.khIQSF
QYzIb1NBut if he was involved, that changed everything. The starting point was wrong.wTwWHyd
twWl“But how?”u7eCMJ
okJThis future was different from the others.L0p
vrSdn1The prophecies were almost always narrated from Aint Armian’s perspective, and many things he didn’t know simply weren’t mentioned.RAfn2W
J2Ci4tdAnd this was one of those cases. Fernan knew the World Tree was corrupted, but not how, when, or why.sz3L
3D7‘So I have to be prepared for anything.’Nur
T9ZHe couldn’t break the contract with the Marquess’s house, so he immediately called for Hyde.Jam
fGskVxQ“You called…? What happened in here?”IWX24x
wIahao“Don’t worry about it. The Fridian family commissioned the Golden Turtle Guild for a transport.”dwTZ
pVavIy“What are they transporting?”MKxS3qk
kA1“Magic crystals, spirit stones, World Tree leaves…”Nxbuq
brrK5gOAs he listed off dozens of items, Hyde looked surprised.neUj
j6Z7YD“That’s a lot.”0B2
oDVpGPI“But it’s all a cover. The real item is the World Tree sprout.”poaIV
vtPAU“…The sprout? You mean that sprout?”biTE
VlJq“Yes. Father accepted. And as part of the deal, they requested that I either be in charge or at least join the team.”b8M8OWE
8S68Pt“You, young master?”Bk7
3TkHyde expressed the same doubt Fernan had the day before.qx2Bie
NtDPFernan briefly explained the conversation he had with Aria.CZ22JYj
mTOAS“This matter is very important. There must be no mistakes or surprises.”xuW
3KMv“Well… if we’re talking about the World Tree sprout…”J4Svf
AY2“No, it’s not just that.”Et4yn
Yt9fSA demon was involved. That was the key to his downfall.1SW
5hSBut that was something only he knew thanks to the prophecy book. He couldn’t say it aloud.wa7
zob“Then why so much preparation?”WN8lywE
qri23“It doesn’t matter. Just do as I say. The transport leaves in two weeks. I’ll meet them using a teleportation circle along with Aria.”4cN
NeEM“Then there’s still time.”goS
x1B6UPreparations were already being handled by his father. Fernan didn’t really have to do anything.HU2p3N
d71ICL“So we just have to join them…”HlMXo
bS8wB“No.”kS2z
Rm2ONLMIf there wasn’t a demon involved, sure.ACOSsup
h0k“Prepare as if we’re going to war. Take all supplies and ask Father for permission to increase the number of escorts.”PjF
pa8520q“Isn’t that overkill? The sprout is valuable, yes, but no one would dare take on two electoral prince houses at once. And wasn’t the transport kept secret precisely to prevent that?”Y6Dr
Vwqg“Listen carefully, Hyde. Accidents happen precisely when people get complacent.”wEX
tQt0MgIf it weren’t something that could lead to ruin, he wouldn’t be this worked up.ZPfAI
beBr“So no matter how much we prepare, it’ll never be enough.”rHuwmV
lzrJSeeing Fernan’s determined expression, Hyde fell silent.pRPdg
1I9“…Understood.”jdG2opw
7ze48“First, deliver this to the department. I assume the Fridians have already notified them.”WCdkMUr
6eV5P“Yes.”nUE
ziaaIt was the request for fieldwork. After handing it in, Fernan put on his coat.uYb
2rl“Where are you going?”W8T0xRE
JIPEFBU“To see Aria Fridian.”BFNf
ZUe“Didn’t you see her yesterday?”zjE7rk
4QggE“Yes.”JTnsPH
0RSbo3But when the situation changes, so must the plans.i6p4
veDThe Fernan from yesterday.bv0d18B
bHHHVBAnd the Fernan from today.1b4
ovJwxWere two completely different people.IOr
VRnC4p***43IR8Q
CwJD1“…What?”TpcN
ezUAria blinked, eyes wide open.ay49B
bETThat innocent expression was said to be quite popular among first-years.rH4h
0FUnxZ“Aren’t elves supposed to have good hearing?”9Ct
5mUP0“No, I heard you just fine. You mean you want to move up the departure date, right?”UFG
NJsUX2B“That’s right.”aUV
boJTransporting the sprout of the World Tree wasn’t something that could be prepared in a day or two. The plan had surely been laid out well in advance.CtWjS06
zx5ytUAnd, of course, it must have reached the ears of the corrupted. That’s probably why they had approached the sprout and stirred up trouble.3Z1CRzi
MpTo“Departure is scheduled for two weeks from now, but most of the preparations should already be done, right?”ZSIuvb
qySJ“Yes, but it’s not just about being ready. There are tons of logistical details to coordinate. What’s the reason for pushing it forward?”jLM
DYwgEGExactly because of that. If possible, he wanted to move the date up a few days. Even just one.Mex
X2qhBecause major disasters always begin with a tiny crack. And the same applied to the corrupted’s plan.SN2isYg
monE“It’s one of my conditions. If they can’t meet it, then I won’t participate.”f1VLiRq
cfq“Duke Pellenberg has already accepted the commission.”qHOu0Gu
ZD6SG0“I’m just an extra, aren’t I?”jJ6d
JC2XwK“…So how much earlier do you want to move it?”MO9
wJG1gYAria hesitated for a moment before asking.KGaQ8k
9laWOfY“Ten days, if possible. A week at the very least.”kbmX
ZUMM9WNTruthfully, he’d like to leave right that moment, but he had preparations of his own to make.e9o0f
Md41Xk“That’s far too soon. If we change it like that, there’ll be a lot of consequences.”ikVa
Tgs35SE“I’m willing to accept them all.”yvxrke
6KZjbg“That’s not something I can decide alone.”5Co
EsXz“Then go tell the marquis.”5MQof
qme8l1DFernan spoke each word with force.rBa
jT2xl“Tell him that Fernan is the one requesting the early departure.”kat
M3eOtherwise—yq86
LyVWxbN“Say that he said even if he’s reborn a thousand times, he won’t agree unless it’s met.”T5j
fvKmxHe knew it was an absurd demand. He knew the likelihood of it being accepted was extremely low. But he had no other choice.WMX
JK6nlThere were only two paths.zUH7
ty4I9Either he received a harsh reprimand from Marquis Fridian and stepped away from the matter, helping Aint defeat the demon after it was summoned once break was over—Z4mzoHE
kq7NOr he rewrote the plan from scratch.XaG
BNgCThere was no third option.VzQHzi
oyzWd***3DQiG6
kZwEven at nightfall, the Academy City didn’t become too dark.yPe
lpwqjUNIt was common for students to go out drinking with friends after classes.6uZ
yv1hwXIn the districts filled with taverns, cheerful voices and lively noise filled the air, lit by magical lanterns installed everywhere.c7oB
UWkF8jBut not all places were like that.DaeEo
ZEi31There were spots that didn’t fit into nightlife, not for dining or for fun. Like the bookstore, its door firmly shut.atkAh
oqidf84The owner had drawn the curtains and was sorting books inside.4Pyk0
DPEA shadow suddenly appeared behind him.f0hj
vVk“My lord, the one responsible for the failure was Fernan Pellenberg.”giAQ
pW5“Details.”vEi
ERHx8wx“We managed to sink the ship and steer Aint in another direction, but he wasn’t alone.”oLZhu
HQl95The explanation was brief.TJX7Xe
bSTFernan Pellenberg, Luina Bercheff, and Bella Hoenne. Three more students had been dragged to the island and helped Aint while he was under attack.A62OZ
3bbkq“…”VeoSq
360UThe bookstore owner said nothing, calmly continuing to sort his books. He didn’t have the power to control the waves. It had quite literally been bad luck.5kJ
MWT“But was it really just bad luck?”Zyx4B
9B9fOThen why this ominous feeling?BwqJtI
yFHa0OJ“We tried to finish him off using the two Sea Serpents, but there was a legacy of the Cursed Lineage hidden on that island. Aint Armian, once awakened…”Vidj
EKhWould Aint have died if that legacy hadn’t been there? Probably not.jbXHW
0Zv“Luina Bercheff’s power exceeded our expectations.”0Ers6w
eqO“Yes. Ever since she teamed up with Fernan Pellenberg, she’s been rising sharply.”hseNe0
PwvSaying someone who already held second place in her year was now “rising” sounded contradictory.2yWUCMA
c07SBut that she had made a leap in growth was undeniable.qG1yN
i9k2“Pellenberg…”PZnc
GGb2A family that had once even traded with demons, blinded by wealth.wLmGbUp
Vjqqy7vBut after falling for the sweet words of the first emperor, had become the demons’ enemy.EKqZ1
WRnThey were the ones who, with immense fortune, had supported the emperor’s plans.PkEsRA
yd3Precisely for that reason, they had to be eliminated first, to avoid repeating history. That’s why the Golden Turtle Guild was used.LoOC
pf4XAnd just when Fernan Pellenberg had been dragged to the island, everything fell apart.4liaDx6
97YfJEven worse—dma
3lxs“If they all witnessed demonic energy together, it’s likely a sense of camaraderie was born.”r23
tSDZn2It was as if the deadliest sword against demons had joined with the gold that could sharpen it.S2Cyp
NlwEA0“The prisoner they captured—what of him?”Zu3j0
sg4BBB“He’ll be dead soon.”NYqvi
luIvUBSJust another useless piece on the board, so that was enough.vd87F
nxe“First, we must separate them. How is the matter of the transport progressing?”sYA
VNi3E5IFortunately, the next step of the plan involved preparing the summoning while making Pellenberg and Armian appear to be enemies.vr8fC
GDgj“Aria Fridian and Fernan Pellenberg have already met. We still don’t know if he accepted.”eVFN
hw8QJT“Do whatever it takes to ensure Fernan Pellenberg participates.”QlSD
3PfEAq7“Yes.”h9Pw
MzhJv“And make sure our existence remains hidden. Not a single trace.”ajOD
AAHd“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”RYuBZM
JoJThe shadow vanished after a slight bow from the bookseller.doS
ef2QmThe man clicked his tongue as he resumed sorting the books.0iwgC
XIO0hu“What a hassle…”4Qk
IDMrG8He snapped his fingers.zIM
ujjq4Clack!N084cBu
pxn4XThe disordered books floated back into place on the shelves.JzUq
tpw21XClack!Yl1Jfg
mKFrHe snapped his fingers again. Another shadow appeared — its form slightly different from the previous one.GcYz4G
fuHkn“You called?”GlGSNO
W20“Yes.”Xlcaw
3itXWhile rubbing his thumb against his index finger, he asked:l7AtT4
yBjUu“How goes the search for the hidden legacies of the Cursed Lineage?”GX3pTcQ
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