Chapter 66

Andromalius disintegrated into dust.

The barrier vanished.

There had been a small incident involving an elf selling out a spirit, but aside from that, the situation had come to an end.

We really… stopped Andromalius.

Fernan knew that even if he had done nothing, Aint would have been able to stop him.

That was what he had originally wanted. He had no desire to waste unnecessary money nor to leave his mark out of ambition. The notion of heroism felt foreign to him.

But he couldn’t stay still.

He couldn’t just sit and wait for a future destined for ruin, so he acted.

And that butterfly effect only made Aint’s path harder.

He had no choice but to move.

But the more he did, the more disastrous things became, and seeing everything tangle in real time left him with a knot in his chest he couldn’t put into words.

In any case, the most critical moment had passed. Despite all the complications, Andromalius had been summoned, and Aint had killed him.

And Fernan had become an absolute ally, not an enemy.

That was enough.

“…Hahaha.”

Sure, this was only the beginning, but to Fernan, it felt like he had overcome a colossal mountain.

“So then, what comes next…”

Just then, Luina Bercheff staggered. Fernan quickly caught her.

“Are you still injured? I have plenty of potions.”

“No… it’s not that. It’s just that, when I thought we really won, all of a sudden my whole body felt so heavy…”

Exhaustion must have hit her all at once after relaxing.

After all, she had faced an entity like Andromalius. Simply standing before him drained the mind. And she had fought, burning her body to the limit.

The potions had stabilized her, but her injuries were far from light.

“Sleep a little.”

“…Can I really?”

“I’ll take care of the rest. Just remember what we agreed on when you wake up.”

“Yes… I’ll remember…”

Luina’s eyes closed. Aint had also fallen asleep shortly after her.

“Aint’s the same. Seems like the fatigue caught up to him.”

“As expected.”

“How strange. I fought too, yet I’m perfectly fine.”

“Because you did nothing.”

“Don’t you see my glorious battle wounds from fighting the demon?”

“Ah, look. The professors are coming. Don’t forget what we talked about earlier.”

“…Who am I even talking to right now? Senpai? Hello?”

Aria’s hollow voice echoed softly.

***

Darkness roared.

Darkness drew near. An inevitable terror and overwhelming dread pressed down on her.

She couldn’t win.

Her hand trembled, her sword too.

She wanted to flee. She had already turned half her body.

But in the end, she couldn’t move her feet.

Doubts crowded her mind.

What would happen if she ran? What if she couldn’t stop the demon?

What would become of the academy? If she didn’t at least buy some time, the damage could be devastating.

She was a knight.

Not just a mere student of the Knight Department, but someone who had earned her title fighting in the harsh lands of the north.

Luina Bercheff.

She dreamed of being a knight. And she became one.

What was it to be a knight? What did that title mean?

When she accepted the knight’s oath, she remembered some of the vows she had made with her own lips.

“I will protect honor, fight against evil, and uphold justice.”

And there, before her, was the most obvious evil she had ever seen.

“I will not live a life of falsehoods and will always seek the truth.”

Would fleeing, breaking that oath, be following the truth?

“I will serve loyally my lord and the Empire.”

Would fleeing and abandoning the country she swore loyalty to embody the chivalric ideal she proclaimed?

“I will protect and respect the weak.”

If she didn’t kill the demon here, if she didn’t buy time, more innocents would suffer.

If she broke her own vows and didn’t protect her homeland, could she even call herself a knight?

Perhaps someone would say she was a stubborn fool. But for her, being a knight was her life, her pride.

Becoming a true knight had been her lifelong goal. One who flees cannot be a knight.

And when she regained awareness, she realized she was already at the front, running into battle.

At that moment, she opened her eyes.

“……”

She was in the academy infirmary. Her clothes were drenched in sweat.

The burning thirst forced her to instinctively extend her hand.

“Here.”

She drank the iced water offered to her. Only after downing the glass in one go did she realize who had given it to her.

“…Fernan?”

“You’ve been unconscious for two days. The healer said your recovery is remarkable.”

“The demon…?”

“Don’t you remember? He died. You pierced his heart.”

“Ah.”

Now she remembered. That feeling still lived in her memory. The most terrifying moment of her life, but one she had overcome.

“We really… really won.”

“Yes. We did it. We captured the number 72 demon, Andromalius.”

“…Andromalius.”

Though it still felt unreal… it was reality.

“And what happened after?”

“When the barrier dissipated, the professors and assistants arrived. With them, we controlled the situation.”

After that, Fernan excused himself due to his injuries and shut himself in the infirmary.

He needed to give explanations, but he preferred everything to be agreed upon first.

“Aint woke up half a day earlier. Aria and Verian didn’t suffer serious injuries. You were the last to wake up.”

“Didn’t we say we were going to reveal about the demon?”

“Yes.”

And in those two days, his decision had only solidified.

“You can tell everything you experienced, without omitting anything. Except for one thing.”

“Just one thing?”

“The one on my shoulder.”

Wooden tilted his head, realizing they were talking about him.

“Not a word about me or about Wooden.”

“Why? His contribution was enormous. Why hide it?”

“There’s no need for a merchant to stand at the front.”

The hero, the hope—all of that should be Aint.

Many things had gone astray, but as long as he preserved the most important, he could avoid greater consequences.

“Do you understand?”

“…Honestly, I don’t think it’s fair.”

From a knight’s perspective, there was no reason to conceal an honorable deed.

“But if that is your wish, I’ll respect it.”

“Thank you.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life. Thank you.”

Luina bowed her head with respect.

***

“The headmaster has summoned you.”

The headmaster, who had been away on external business, had returned.

It was the moment everyone had been waiting for.

Although the situation had already been discussed with some officials, the matter had escalated so much that it inevitably reached the very top of the academy.

And as soon as the headmaster returned, interviews with all those involved were scheduled, as part of the expected protocol.

“First, the interviews with the other students are being carried out. Please wait a moment.”

“Understood.”

When he arrived at the waiting room, the secretary offered him a cup of tea.

The “other students” had to be those who fought alongside Fernan against Andromalius.

Luina Bercheff, Aint Armian, Aria Fridian, and Verian Kalburdern.

Well… did that last one really fight as such? In any case, at least he was present.

‘How should I say it…?’

The questions were obvious, the only matter left was how to answer them.

The academy’s headmaster was an old and cunning fox. A clumsy lie would only provoke his wrath.

The truth was that until just recently, Fernan hadn’t been able to decide how to approach the matter.

He couldn’t lightly judge which path would be most profitable.

But now he no longer had doubts.

Two days ago, while Luina was still unconscious, what he truly desired had been clearly shown before his eyes.

***

“It was a demon.”

That was how Aint began his statement in the headmaster’s office.

The hand of the headmaster, who had been pouring milk into his tea, froze mid-motion.

“Andromalius. The 72nd demon.”

“…So then…”

The headmaster resumed stirring his spoon. The cloudy milk and tea mixed slowly.

“So, you’re saying you exterminated a demon.”

“Yes.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

“I suppose it could be possible.”

After a long pause, the headmaster stroked his beard as he savored the tea.

“When one first encounters such dense demonic energy, it is only natural to panic.”

— What the hell is this crazy old man saying?

“Are you saying I’m lying?”

“I’m only saying that errors of judgment can occur. When a corrupted entity is strong enough, it may be mistaken for a demon.”

The pages of the prophecy book turned to the next.

“What a ridiculous lie. Students hunting a demon?”

The secretary chuckled softly.

“Do you think this is the perfect chance to restore the name of House Armian?”

What was a demon?

It was humanity’s enemy, an absolute calamity. For mere students to claim to have defeated such an entity was, logically, unacceptable.

“But he didn’t seem to be lying.”

“So you think it was true?”

“It can only be one of two things.”

Either it really was a demon.

Or they truly believed it was.

Another page turned.

“Seems these brats want to ruin our festival.”

That was something truly unacceptable. Unless it was the exact opposite.

“We’ll have to hunt those rats that infiltrated the academy. Dead or alive, let’s leave them in a miserable state, and announce it during the founding celebration. Wouldn’t that be amusing?”

Right at the climax of the festival, if the act of eliminating the Empire’s ancient enemies were added…

The headmaster burst into laughter.

And thus concluded the prophecy’s fragment about the summoned demon.

The story moved forward.

***

[Horses clad in steel galloped…]

[—Well done. Keep going and…]

It also described the academy’s immediate future and the hidden movements soon to be revealed.

[—This is black obsidian.]

“Black obsidian? The one with high magic resistance?”

— You’re lucky. It’s not comparable to mithril, but it’s still quite a useful mineral.

Though it didn’t alter the overall destiny, they were fragments of valuable information—and above all, profitable.

“…”

Fernan focused on the first of the prophecies.

Having climbed the mountain called Andromalius, only one question remained in his mind.

Should he reveal the truth about the demons, or continue to hide it?

Up until now, Fernan had opted for secrecy because it was the most convenient.

It was the “correct” flow of things.

A path where Aint would grow through real combat and direct experience.

“If I start talking about demons and cause a scandal, but then Aint can’t meet expectations… everything collapses.”

But this time was different.

With the appearance of Andromalius came an unprecedented battle. Even if most didn’t know he was a demon, the demonic energy left behind was undeniable.

The existence of corrupted entities could no longer be concealed.

But how much of it should be revealed?

And what about the truth regarding demons?

Until recently, he hadn’t had a clear answer. But now he did.

“Student Fernan.”

Creak… The door opened and the secretary entered.

“The headmaster is waiting.”

“Understood.”

The decision was made.

There was no longer any reason to hide it.