Chapter 40

Even though he had thrown junk everywhere and shards of shattered mirrors rolled across the floor, his rage hadn’t subsided.

“Damn it… Why is it always…?”

Fernan ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Again. Once again, a prophecy had tied itself to him. And not in a positive way.

“So this is how I end up becoming Aint’s enemy…”

It made no sense for him to become Aint’s enemy just for demanding fair repayment of a debt from Luina.

There was no sufficient reason for that to lead to his downfall.

Fernan knew his father well. He would never expel him from the family over something so trivial.

But now he understood.

‘I thought the Yacht Club incident was just a coincidence at first.’

But if something happens twice, it stops being coincidence.

This was a trap. A trap aimed directly at Fernan — at the Pellenberg family itself.

By being associated with demons, the family would be at risk if they didn’t expel the implicated heir.

No matter how powerful an electoral prince house was, there was no place for coexistence with demons in the Empire. It was a real possibility.

The problem was, it was all based on a misunderstanding. Fernan gave a bitter smile at his reflection in the half-broken full-length mirror.

“How pathetic you look, Fernan Pellenberg.”

Acting 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.

He laughed. How could he not? He felt so ridiculous — the rage he felt toward demons was overwhelming.

“…Fine. Let’s see who wins.”

You or me.

A drop of blood slid from his split lip.

***

Summoning a demon wasn’t easy.

Tearing through the dimensional barrier required an enormous amount of energy. The more powerful the being, the harder it was.

And if it was one of the 72 demons, there was no need to say more.

Fernan had assumed they would use students as vessels, draining their vitality and mana.

But that wasn’t it.

“The World Tree sprout. That was it.”

Using a World Tree sprout to summon a demon — there couldn’t be a more demonic idea.

“It must be stopped.”

Normally, he’d have had no reason to risk his life stopping a demon summoning.

The appearance of a demon was serious, but it wasn’t something he could realistically prevent.

Even if one was summoned, so what? Aint Armian would eliminate it. The best course for Fernan would be to profit while minimizing damage.

That was what he used to think.

But if he was involved, that changed everything. The starting point was wrong.

“But how?”

This future was different from the others.

The prophecies were almost always narrated from Aint Armian’s perspective, and many things he didn’t know simply weren’t mentioned.

And this was one of those cases. Fernan knew the World Tree was corrupted, but not how, when, or why.

‘So I have to be prepared for anything.’

He couldn’t break the contract with the Marquess’s house, so he immediately called for Hyde.

“You called…? What happened in here?”

“Don’t worry about it. The Fridian family commissioned the Golden Turtle Guild for a transport.”

“What are they transporting?”

“Magic crystals, spirit stones, World Tree leaves…”

As he listed off dozens of items, Hyde looked surprised.

“That’s a lot.”

“But it’s all a cover. The real item is the World Tree sprout.”

“…The sprout? You mean that sprout?”

“Yes. Father accepted. And as part of the deal, they requested that I either be in charge or at least join the team.”

“You, young master?”

Hyde expressed the same doubt Fernan had the day before.

Fernan briefly explained the conversation he had with Aria.

“This matter is very important. There must be no mistakes or surprises.”

“Well… if we’re talking about the World Tree sprout…”

“No, it’s not just that.”

A demon was involved. That was the key to his downfall.

But that was something only he knew thanks to the prophecy book. He couldn’t say it aloud.

“Then why so much preparation?”

“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.”

“Then there’s still time.”

Preparations were already being handled by his father. Fernan didn’t really have to do anything.

“So we just have to join them…”

“No.”

If there wasn’t a demon involved, sure.

“Prepare as if we’re going to war. Take all supplies and ask Father for permission to increase the number of escorts.”

“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?”

“Listen carefully, Hyde. Accidents happen precisely when people get complacent.”

If it weren’t something that could lead to ruin, he wouldn’t be this worked up.

“So no matter how much we prepare, it’ll never be enough.”

Seeing Fernan’s determined expression, Hyde fell silent.

“…Understood.”

“First, deliver this to the department. I assume the Fridians have already notified them.”

“Yes.”

It was the request for fieldwork. After handing it in, Fernan put on his coat.

“Where are you going?”

“To see Aria Fridian.”

“Didn’t you see her yesterday?”

“Yes.”

But when the situation changes, so must the plans.

The Fernan from yesterday.

And the Fernan from today.

Were two completely different people.

***

“…What?”

Aria blinked, eyes wide open.

That innocent expression was said to be quite popular among first-years.

“Aren’t elves supposed to have good hearing?”

“No, I heard you just fine. You mean you want to move up the departure date, right?”

“That’s right.”

Transporting 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.

And, of course, it must have reached the ears of the corrupted. That’s probably why they had approached the sprout and stirred up trouble.

“Departure is scheduled for two weeks from now, but most of the preparations should already be done, right?”

“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?”

Exactly because of that. If possible, he wanted to move the date up a few days. Even just one.

Because major disasters always begin with a tiny crack. And the same applied to the corrupted’s plan.

“It’s one of my conditions. If they can’t meet it, then I won’t participate.”

“Duke Pellenberg has already accepted the commission.”

“I’m just an extra, aren’t I?”

“…So how much earlier do you want to move it?”

Aria hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Ten days, if possible. A week at the very least.”

Truthfully, he’d like to leave right that moment, but he had preparations of his own to make.

“That’s far too soon. If we change it like that, there’ll be a lot of consequences.”

“I’m willing to accept them all.”

“That’s not something I can decide alone.”

“Then go tell the marquis.”

Fernan spoke each word with force.

“Tell him that Fernan is the one requesting the early departure.”

Otherwise—

“Say that he said even if he’s reborn a thousand times, he won’t agree unless it’s met.”

He knew it was an absurd demand. He knew the likelihood of it being accepted was extremely low. But he had no other choice.

There were only two paths.

Either 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—

Or he rewrote the plan from scratch.

There was no third option.

***

Even at nightfall, the Academy City didn’t become too dark.

It was common for students to go out drinking with friends after classes.

In the districts filled with taverns, cheerful voices and lively noise filled the air, lit by magical lanterns installed everywhere.

But not all places were like that.

There were spots that didn’t fit into nightlife, not for dining or for fun. Like the bookstore, its door firmly shut.

The owner had drawn the curtains and was sorting books inside.

A shadow suddenly appeared behind him.

“My lord, the one responsible for the failure was Fernan Pellenberg.”

“Details.”

“We managed to sink the ship and steer Aint in another direction, but he wasn’t alone.”

The explanation was brief.

Fernan Pellenberg, Luina Bercheff, and Bella Hoenne. Three more students had been dragged to the island and helped Aint while he was under attack.

“…”

The 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.

“But was it really just bad luck?”

Then why this ominous feeling?

“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…”

Would Aint have died if that legacy hadn’t been there? Probably not.

“Luina Bercheff’s power exceeded our expectations.”

“Yes. Ever since she teamed up with Fernan Pellenberg, she’s been rising sharply.”

Saying someone who already held second place in her year was now “rising” sounded contradictory.

But that she had made a leap in growth was undeniable.

“Pellenberg…”

A family that had once even traded with demons, blinded by wealth.

But after falling for the sweet words of the first emperor, had become the demons’ enemy.

They were the ones who, with immense fortune, had supported the emperor’s plans.

Precisely for that reason, they had to be eliminated first, to avoid repeating history. That’s why the Golden Turtle Guild was used.

And just when Fernan Pellenberg had been dragged to the island, everything fell apart.

Even worse—

“If they all witnessed demonic energy together, it’s likely a sense of camaraderie was born.”

It was as if the deadliest sword against demons had joined with the gold that could sharpen it.

“The prisoner they captured—what of him?”

“He’ll be dead soon.”

Just another useless piece on the board, so that was enough.

“First, we must separate them. How is the matter of the transport progressing?”

Fortunately, the next step of the plan involved preparing the summoning while making Pellenberg and Armian appear to be enemies.

“Aria Fridian and Fernan Pellenberg have already met. We still don’t know if he accepted.”

“Do whatever it takes to ensure Fernan Pellenberg participates.”

“Yes.”

“And make sure our existence remains hidden. Not a single trace.”

“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The shadow vanished after a slight bow from the bookseller.

The man clicked his tongue as he resumed sorting the books.

“What a hassle…”

He snapped his fingers.

Clack!

The disordered books floated back into place on the shelves.

Clack!

He snapped his fingers again. Another shadow appeared — its form slightly different from the previous one.

“You called?”

“Yes.”

While rubbing his thumb against his index finger, he asked:

“How goes the search for the hidden legacies of the Cursed Lineage?”