Chapter 91
2fj4Waaaah!ttIE
9Bi5XKill them all!v48
txvXGgMonsters, watch out!AZBT
TArFEI9Smoke was rising everywhere.C8733A
vk73Arrows and magic flew, mixing with screams and howls.cbWB
nF5jdl2What awaited the students upon returning from the desert were relentless hordes of monsters and demons assaulting the wall.wlmbPo
u6eGxF9They easily numbered over two hundred.1MM
ctPHSh9Vision spun, ears rang, the sense of smell dulled.glZlWc
uxoXThis was the battlefield.LUiBG
PB7L9This was war.dwuFrM
bfJThe future that humanity now faced with the return of the demons.5FW
ku9eddBRoaar!OWpwy
81HkwsCA giant scorpion climbed the wall, brandishing its stinger, but an avalanche of rocks crushed it.DGQym1Z
vK4nIts shell cracked and its head burst open, falling lifeless beyond the walls.NWr
flz0WOZFernan turned his gaze forward.FHLK
rKztr65Even amidst that chaos, two lights shone brightly.4OZBozC
46hAint Armian, the hero of light, natural enemy of demons, as the prophecy said.65sP
hvbicOAnd Luina Bercheff, the future Royal Knight recognized by the first Royal Knight.vYvp7QA
oDkkOvbFernan smiled in satisfaction.IHPqs7y
ERsK9fTheir growth was the world’s future.WsDsK
fuAOKThe more monsters and demons they defeated, the closer peace would be.L6j
pgh‘I’ll just have to collect the crumbs that fall from that.’sv7SM8m
nfcuaCrumbs that came from demons and the prophetic book itself.uHIIB
njJbOYWith that, Fernan Pellenberg would raise a golden fortress no one would dare challenge.tSzA
HAu“The numbers are strange.”E1g
iJqnEyclrad—one of the seven fortresses of the wall, the foremost, always on the front line.IL9V4u
sLi4NAtNaturally, it was the most populated and the one that faced the most battles.vWF
xFiGWkBut now, the attackers were few.xiDtYEM
CR3PJiIn total, barely a dozen demons.yGTjyW
pmsbpThe reason was clear.Yvb
V0qUTNSThe Corruptor Bairan, who had been directing the artificial monster waves, had been captured.t2bqiV
mPxSwNWithout him, the hordes were disorganized.JZb
ytUw7‘So the plan to destroy the Pasa Bell was canceled?’i5ubUUs
VVh3AuThat had been Bairan’s true objective.AOou
xhnP5But after the purge of Corruptors carried out by the Academy recently, this assault seemed like a desperate attempt to draw attention before the fall.TiM8X
T7sAS‘If the Bell was going to be destroyed, the prophecy would have mentioned it.’Ctmx
Cc2qSo it wouldn’t be now.iXtAgw
3tmWith the leader fallen, everything would soon quiet down.Akus
YCp5vyIn fact, this had been one of the most “peaceful” events in the prophecy. Aint hadn’t just defeated a Corruptor, but also gained the support of the desert clans.W2T
2f5rPerfect. Even better.18c0xt
3B2B1kW— Kyu!BsdtUuE
du6F“Easy.”F5pNS
FmP— Kuoooh!PgK1yx
mxbfqFernan looked at Wooden, his little golem, who whined as if he’d lost his homeland.Y966kYP
i9IV‘I’ll find him a secluded place during vacation so he can vent on some monsters.’pzY0
pC4‘By the way, Ludger… that venomous gaze…’Zk4qD
l3zDHe had noticed the same thing: that Aint had recovered the secret art of the Armian family.CkIn
nJCpIThat could no longer be hidden.ZEL8y
x7veAnd now it would truly begin Ludger, and the Schwaben family, would keep watch and test him.9WTbm3
tdvF3Fernan had three paths.6g3nX
SARA1. Actively support Aint against Schwaben.rurvsny
dxl2. Help him discreetly, avoiding direct confrontation.nbQ
IclF6Jk3. Not intervene.ZDZCkP
5m7g2cPThe third wasn’t an option.1ACG
P8IgtIf Aint fell, the future of the world would collapse with him.hQl0xZo
oEub‘The best would be to keep my distance and only step in for truly dangerous matters. Aint can handle the rest.’hgHkm
Oq16Boom!8H8K
gEY1WgrAn orc nearly knocked Fernan over, but Luina rammed into it and hurled it over the wall like it had been hit by a cart.HOG
E5PfA“What the hell were you thinking!”3LXcLu
qneQhKm“My mind was elsewhere.”ojCEq
N9kB01“And you say that so casually?”kPgovGd
I57lLj“There was no danger. I’m always carrying defensive artifacts.”ytevqMc
1KDbHis rings and bracelets overflowed with protective magic. The orc’s rusty axe would never have touched him.4Do
5VqKW9“Thanks, anyway.”9INW
FcjuHZJ“…That sounds like you’re giving me a medal.”YFgPKYL
3nw00Fernan was about to reply when a headache pierced him.OiuL
X74Another vision from the prophecy.Nzp5
YKC6[─────!nLG0
OUXVDA crash shook the city of Artc.Sohtvh
PAu0Demons surged from underground and attacked the people.m5ZI
nfjPc“Monsters!”RxViTK8
bCQ“Run!”Q9YRq
XwPkei“How did they get in?”Vrqzg
RDBThe alarm bells rang all over Artc.10to6rp
i5DUTo4Chaos spread through the streets, flames erupted at every corner, and no one noticed the suspicious movement headed for the Pasa Bell.]JrTgSI
pHFiLThat was it.zsI
wEHTThe real target was the Pasa Bell.wzdyJ1R
ueBw[The surprise was total.M8Etj
C6PHuNever in all its history had the capital of Altrierc suffered a monster invasion.P27kU
y0W4011And it happened on the day the Academy students returned from their mission.X7FC
gcEuPH“An attack?”]tP0D
qRf4FM“It’s an explosion!”3Cx
cji— Demons, demons!rMPK
kLFThe first to sense the wave of magic was Gardner.vnDl
D02y0While the students, led by the professors, deployed in the city to combat the beasts, Gardner detected a different presence.ZvwrQM
HJNuLqz— An unusually strong magic… it’s coming from that direction.kpCUf
CW0PYG──!aoPJ
e3qtIThe blast was so loud it hurt his eardrums. In that instant, he understood.7FtscUA
jhrf— It’s a decoy!Uim
ffXR— The Pasa Bell! The Bell is in danger!lOo
ChZ77vl— The monster wave is just a distraction—the true objective is the Bell!DIEtuGt
dMSMThe Corruptors’ plan was nearly perfect.4wEgrxL
eBDSnWith most of the army at the wall and the population in panic, Artc was poorly defended.HP2
HiCRThere was just one thing they didn’t account for.NBFZy
sDoAint Armian and his sword, Gardner Alfenparsen.R5S9q
xOC“You won’t succeed, filthy Corruptor!”sce0Q
DDbHXaj“Aint Armian? Here already?”AINZyW
4M3W7RAint’s sword fell like lightning, forcing the Corruptor to retreat.KiV
GSr“Arrogant insect! Fine, better this way. I regretted not finishing you, but you came to hell on your own.”8SgDa
fdnEMagic exploded around. Though weakened by Aint’s light, it was still immense.qvPTFB
Jn00RMsHe could barely withstand it, and his body accumulated wounds.YdRnx
03Srd2Then, another sword pierced the tangle of energy and sliced through the magic tentacles like paper.BdO4gw
e7uT2oY“And who are you?”U4d
fmGdA“The instructor.”vwW
DFi4npmIt was Professor Grad, who had followed Aint, concerned for his recklessness.GdPd
n8V***M5FL
BgJqTzThe vision from the prophetic book continued, all centered on the Bell of Pasa—how the Corrupt tried to destroy it, how they opened the way for beasts into the city, and how they failed.GB8ph
9mHXThe bell was protected by seals much stronger than expected.VDMd
CHeAnd with Grad as a variable, the plan collapsed from the root.SQOUwP
UQnc‘It was directly connected… and resolved without my intervention.’Jr0bHjG
wEHFernan understood when he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Luina’s face, with those aquamarine-blue eyes.z5fWoDG
iMtHP6“…Are you okay?”wbVKvm0
0Hy“I am.”YmTK
6ROovAHe could now endure the pain without letting it show on his face.xzl1L
GAlyThough the cold sweat gave him away.P1pUT
N9zLj“It’s nothing.”xFw6uHp
IduO“How can you say that while sweating like this? Are you sure it’s not serious?”72vBE
O0Tfb“The healers from my family diagnosed me. There’s no problem. And if I’m sweating, it’s because of the heat.”WztqSk0
zwj“Summer ended weeks ago. What a poor excuse.”j2jkb
UGcK“There! A monster!”vKmMP
iGiSwish!aglJa
XHliELuina sliced a giant scorpion in two.ociMNmb
HMj5That was the last creature. The battle had ended.VY8xurk
kYprvThe students’ mission also came to an end.drgE9
9he“You’ve all worked hard. I’m sure this has been the most valuable experience of your time at the Academy.”77J
TzVBt7VAnd he was right. What other student could boast of having fought Corrupt, lived among desert clans, and experienced their festival?Uc0
40Co“Rest today. Tomorrow, we will report to His Excellency and return to Artc. From there, via transport circle, straight to the Academy. Any questions?”i8YqQF
tP8“None.”JCfonW
TG04M5The students slept in their assigned lodgings and departed at dawn, now escorted by the Knights of Luminous Blood. Everything seemed calm.U4u
Xah‘When I return, I’ll have a lot to do… investigating Gissemond, for example…’OoNCx
FdUGqwThe journey passed without incident—until they crossed the gates of Artc.EoSPoA
4Ow3Vr***SAJ
M0qM5iDing, ding, ding—ebw2r2
g9AXgqThe alarm bells rang out.oiW
sQe“Attack!”ehBP4
6lmr“They’re demons!”eYQ
oAmKyaaa! Grahhh!d7b
q5rR1pYMonsters’ howls and human screams mixed. Smoke rose from several parts of the capital.jRXzT1F
Vv6“An attack?”TXnxsrT
A1E“The capital, under attack?”U2X4mez
5ZNZThe gates were shut, soldiers tried to control the crowd.83TU
p3ZE6AThe students entered with the knights, and by then most of it seemed under control: bodies in the streets, but contained damage.rbpo
AQyDAt least, that’s how it seemed—until—NW0kS
VPEaYl──────!grZXf
tide05A sound like never before shook the entire city.x90OHP
1b6v“Aaagh!”BkVx18N
HPkw“My ears!”hDG
JSuSoBFernan fell to his knees, clutching his head. The pain was unbearable, a high-pitched ringing filled his mind.meUo4iy
cYZaVe9A firm hand held him up.Foe
uns“Are you alright?”IbcC
OBLDe0It was Luina, enduring the shock with a hardened expression.OSgg
kL5“…What the hell was that?”a0TM3
qAuoscm“Like someone struck a bell…”WKP
Qnc8X“…Bell?”UcsVE
msq2m49Fernan froze.ekE
XwtVO“Magic! I sense magic!”VyCy
8SFd14Aint ran off. The scene matched the prophecy word for word.h1O9
8eukgAA bad feeling stabbed Fernan in the chest, and he followed immediately.ps0H
h3B***npCPALR
6z4LsWhen they arrived, the knights were holding back the crowd.L7lVR
3rLPThe buildings nearby had collapsed, people were crying and screaming.6XvCW
z13G4bBut the important part was the center of the plaza.cXE
nJnvLY6“….”IIR9vCv
OU4nTThere, where the Bell of Pasa was supposed to stand intact, only fragments remained.9I7Zd
EMxNqa“…Damn it.”PS1IdyP
XuNVThe future had changed.7a3Au7
6naThe Bell of Pasa had been destroyed.pQS
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