Chapter 99

How much time had passed? Aint opened his eyes.

All attention turned to his mouth.

“…Ah uh…”

Surprised by their stares, Aint grew nervous, but soon regained his composure.

“I did everything I could, but as the senior said, I couldn’t detect any traces of forbidden magic.”

“Not even a little?”

“Not even a little.”

“So, was Brother Fernan wrong…?”

But neither Fernan nor Rosalia showed the slightest change in expression.

“Professor, now show us the real work.”

“The real one?”

“Something else? But what we saw already was impressive.”

“Follow me.”

Rosalia led them to a small door in the corner of the lab.

Upon opening it, a large room full of magical artifacts appeared, and in the center, another orb.

“This…?”

“This is the real one. The other was an experimental prototype.”

Unlike the outer ice block, this was a sphere made from hundreds of interwoven magic stones.

Its surface was covered with countless inscriptions and magic circles, and the power it radiated was much more intense.

“…I never thought I’d see something like this, brother.”

Jace, the magic fanatic, inhaled with difficulty.

“This is like…”

“Like what?”

“A sun. It looks like an artificial sun.”

“In a broad sense, that comparison isn’t wrong.”

Though its principles, uses, and form were different, the fact that it held nearly unlimited mana made the comparison fitting.

“Professor, may I examine it more closely?”

“How different your tone is now.”

“That ice block already amazed me. Creating artificial magic stones… but this is in another league.”

Jace swallowed, eyes gleaming like a child before a new toy, yet holding the seriousness of a scholar.

“Do what you want. It’ll be presented at the Continental Congress anyway.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!”

He understood the value of what he was seeing, more than anyone there—except Rosalia.

“How did you inscribe these runes? Oh, and here you even made opposing formulas interact…!”

As Jace immersed himself in analysis, Fernan turned to Aint.

“Aint, your task is the same. Check if there’s forbidden magic inside.”

“And if I don’t find anything?”

“That would be best.”

“The best?”

“Of course. Better to double the research funding than let a corrupted sabotage the project and ruin the Congress.”

“I never said I’d be satisfied with just double.”

“No matter how many times I have to invest.”

After all, the burden was Fernan’s. And after handing the three legendary metals to his father, he knew massive profits were on the way.

Aint approached the orb. His skin tingled from the density of the mana.

‘No wonder they hadn’t noticed—the walls are covered with concealment seals.’

The room’s inscriptions hid and contained the core’s power. With dozens of overlapping layers, it was impossible to sense from the outside.

— That guy compared it to the sun, and rightfully so. Its energy is enough for a summoning ritual.

‘Without sacrificing lives? Just mana?’

— To pierce the dimensional barrier and bring something from another world requires an absurd amount of energy. Doesn’t matter if it’s life force or magical.

— Life is purer and more efficient, that’s why the corrupted prefer it.

— But remember how Andromalius was summoned.

‘Ah…’

Aint recalled the use of World Tree branches in that ritual.

‘If the corrupted got their hands on this… what would they do?’

— What else? Summon a demon.

— Or even entire legions of monsters, to plunge the continent into chaos.

‘Then I really hope the senior is wrong.’

— That would be ideal.

Aint took a deep breath, placed his sword-shaped pendant against the orb, and closed his eyes.

“…Externally, there’s no problem.”

Rosalia’s brow furrowed.

“So internally, there is?”

“I’ll be honest—I don’t know enough magic to spot flaws in formulas or circles. But I do know how to sense forbidden magic.”

That was the power inherited from the Armian line since the First Emperor.

“What did you find?”

“A seed.”

“A seed?”

“Surrounded by magic stones, hidden under so much mana it was hard to find. But I’m sure—it’s a seed of forbidden magic.”

During the earlier inspection, when Rosalia activated the core, Aint noticed how that dark fragment absorbed mana and grew, just barely perceptibly.

He didn’t know what would sprout from it—and that uncertainty was the most sinister part.

“Aint Armian.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’d swear it a thousand times. I may be inferior to you in magic, but when it comes to sensing demonic magic, I’m second to none. I say this in the name of my lineage, the founders of the Empire.”

“It can’t be…”

“Such a miracle, tainted by forbidden magic? I won’t accept it! Are you sure you’re not mistaken, Aint?”

Rosalia examined the orb.

Nothing seemed strange. She had inspected it every day, and had even rechecked it after Fernan’s warning.

Nothing.

And yet Aint claimed otherwise.

For a genius like Rosalia, it was unacceptable.

“There’s one way for everyone to verify—destroy it.”

“That’s absurd. The Congress is in two weeks! You want me to destroy it now?”

It wasn’t even worth debating, she thought.

But she couldn’t ignore the fact that the one proposing this was Fernan Pellenberg, and the one insisting with such certainty was Aint Armian.

“There is another way.”

It was Fernan.

“What is it?”

“No need to destroy the piece. Just catch the one who planted the seed.”

“…A corrupted?”

“Yes. It was someone from inside. Do you think an outsider could have inserted it without understanding your research in depth?”

“……”

Rosalia pressed her lips together.

The answer lay among her assistants.

It had to be.

***

Something in the air felt different.

After a day of rest, when Aaron returned to Professor Rosalia’s lab, he sensed it immediately.

Nothing seemed to have changed in appearance.

Not the arrangement of objects and documents, not the behavior of the other assistants, nor that of the professor herself.

And yet, everything felt different.

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, but his instincts screamed that something was wrong.

Before he could figure it out, Rosalia entered.

“Pay attention.”

Clack.

The door closed.

The professor gathered all the assistants and took out an object.

A transparent orb, pure, spotless.

“Some of you will know what this is, others maybe not.”

‘That’s…’

Aaron recognized it immediately.

An artifact created by the Cult of the Dragon God to detect forbidden magic.

‘Did they discover the seed I planted…?’

No, impossible.

If they had been able to find it, they would’ve done so long ago.

‘Or is this another order from the headmaster? Maybe they found new clues after turning the Academy upside down looking for corrupteds?’

If that were the case, there was no problem.

“You’ve all heard what happened in Altrierc with the monsters and the corrupted, right?”

“Yes, Professor…”

“That’s why the Academy has also decided to strengthen its measures. This is an artifact from the Cult of the Dragon God, capable of detecting forbidden magic in mana.”

“In other words… we’re suspected of being corrupted?”

“The order applies to all staff, not just you.”

“I see.”

Aaron smiled and placed his hand on the orb.

“All we have to do is inject mana?”

“That’s right.”

Mana flowed, but the orb didn’t react.

“Next.”

In this way, all five assistants were checked.

Rosalia remained expressionless.

Inside, Aaron mocked her.

‘Check all you want, you’ll find nothing.’

“You’ve all passed the test. Now, let’s move on to the next step.”

“The next…?”

“Enter.”

The door opened.

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Aint Armian. Professor Rosalia called me.”

The newcomer had golden hair that shone like the sun, and blue eyes as clear as gemstones.

Aaron felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Something was wrong.

Suddenly, he felt like an insect trapped in a mage’s jar.

“I suppose there’s no need to introduce him. The natural enemy of demons will now personally inspect you.”

‘I need to escape… I can’t let this happen.’

“You expect us to allow that boy to probe into us? That’s outrageous!”

“Indeed, it’s unacceptable.”

“No matter who you are, Professor…”

The other assistants joined Aaron’s protest.

Allowing someone to inspect the interior of their mana, their circuits and inscriptions, was something one only permitted to a master or closest family.

“Once the Continental Congress ends, each of you will receive a bonus of five hundred gold coins and a month’s vacation. I’ll also review and assist with your theses.”

“You think that will convince us…?”

“One thousand gold coins.”

“…That might do it.”

“…Glup.”

‘What the hell are they saying!?’

What Aaron hadn’t expected was that the other assistants were little more than lab slaves.

Exploited daily, they couldn’t resist such an offer.

“I won’t examine anything beyond whether you carry forbidden magic or not.”

“If Aint Armian harms or abuses any of you, I, Vienderk, will take responsibility for your compensation—and your vengeance.”

“…If you say so…”

“I trust you, Professor.”

One by one, the assistants nodded.

‘They’ve been treated like slaves for so long their minds became slave-like too. How can they let a brat examine them inside for a few coins?’

Aaron wanted to protest, to scream that it was absurd.

But the moment his eyes met Rosalia’s, he understood.

“…”

“…”

No matter what he said, she would go through with it anyway.

There was no point in resisting.

He couldn’t flee either.

All he could do was rely on the power that had kept him hidden until now.

And then—

“Your name is Aaron, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not good at beating around the bush, so I’ll be direct.”

“What…?”

Whack!

Aaron’s face twisted from a brutal punch.

“W-what does this mean?!”

“They say the best medicine for the corrupted is a good beating.”

And his hope crumbled in just ten seconds.