Chapter 47: King of Iron Mountain (3)
PELKing of Iron Mountain,dvKO
XEsjcMaKiller of Heroes,3wICQa
6tVJO53The Demonic Boar of the Dingle Peninsula.MEvk
cTUThis boar that was perhaps one of the most well-known Unique Grade demonic beasts of the continent first appeared 88 years ago at the tip of the Northern Continent, Dingle Peninsula.MXk5W8p
kOwSThose lands were incredibly cold but had a remarkable abundance of natural resources, and the mountain range had so many mines that it was called the Iron Mountain.EeYX
d9kThe miners that one day visited the mine to look for iron, silver and gold ended up witnessing a shocking scenery.1OeIJXV
utKkN– Kaduk! Kaduk!MBgPmFO
6MoFA large boar was greedily devouring everything inside the iron mines.G0TVs
2aVs9GbThat was the first eyewitness account of the one who devours everything, the King of Iron Mountain.9rmn
V2qYWS****lBaO
WIKf“What do you think is the difference between Unique Grade demons and demonic beasts below that, Student Marie?”XpHto6
o14CRba“…Maybe their strength?”4KfbbSo
QPlY2Marie replied after tilting her head and thinking about Professor Deina’s question. The topic about ‘Unique Grades’ was something that was also very relevant to herself.LYtmKPt
5fdUhn“Strength is like a natural passive skill that goes with Unique Grades. One of their most powerful abilities is the power to ‘rule’.”YcjN0N
up0“Power to rule?”NJKWfjd
0S76e“It is said that Unique Grade demons give off a different energy compared to other demons. We call that the alpha energy.”Z9kRN
n6iQsGk“Alpha energy…”M6ZCCcV
7IP3F“You know how we have alpha entities of groups sometimes even among Grade 2 and Grade 1 monsters right? The ones that are stronger than their kindred that give out commands?”yHIRIb
DKFkc4As Professor Deina said, there were oftentimes leaders – the alpha entities – among demonic beasts that traveled around in groups. These entities were more powerful than their kindred and could even break through the restrictions of their grade to become incomparably stronger.1dj1Uve
QpAanW“But even those alpha entities cannot give out commands to demons that are of different species to them. Their ruling ability does not go through. But…”KNb8Fs
8ypejP“…Unique Grades can give out commands to every lower-graded demon.”ncCvp
7kTv“Exactly. You have experienced it yourself, right?”uPza
sruAMarie used to control the demonic beasts of the forest when she had run away to the hunting grounds. It was the same even when she was feeding the Fang Boars who did not dare fight against her.PE6OS
OURzid“Nnn? But, Miss. I… think it was a bit different from ruling them.”wttpiv
FUyWys6She said while reflecting on what happened at the hunting grounds. It was true that the beasts of the forest couldn’t fight back and offered her their blood, but that wasn’t because of a conscious command from her.EKLpU
AL2jThose frightened demonic beasts had simply been unwilling to fight back.RlmEJ0
U7AYIt was the same even with the Fang Boars. Although Marie did command them to have a better time feeding them, that was slightly different from ruling over them. The Fang Boars had simply been overwhelmed by her and were fearful.EH95
UCvgjOo“Right. But that is mainly because of your race, Student Marie.”lNl9
oSTAUx“Race?”CSEpSE
TeXxBZ“We have three types of demons right? Demonic beasts, demonic spirits and demi-humans. It’s a very simple classification but the effect of alpha entities do depend on this as well. Can you make a guess?”eFV
E1EAs expected of a professor, Professor Deina naturally suggested Marie to think about the answer herself, and as a clever high-achieving student, Marie was quickly able to come up with an answer.kO6K
zhNpT“Does the degree of the ruling ability of alpha entities change depending on races?”yCl
nVa7b“Exactly.”lp9J
3UtHIn other words, Unique Grade demonic beasts would have trouble giving commands to lower graded demonic spirits, while Unique Grade demonic spirits would have trouble commanding lower grade demonic beasts. This was apparently due to the ‘language systems’ of each race.x9xO
w67o“Hmm… Does that mean I would be able to command other demi-humans?”DaPaq
LhVwVU“That still requires some research but the general consensus is a no.”mCnsizZ
KP7An“Do you mean it’s impossible?”qAC
xP99D“Yes. Demi-humans are former humans that awaken into demons right? Because their intellect is above a human level at least, they are apparently immune to the ruling power of demonic aura.”kVA
rSyxb“…I see.”rGoRPTZ
gg9It seemed that she wouldn’t be able to command them even if she were to come across other demi-humans.3TJ7VE
eIxl‘That’s a bit of a shame. Demi-humans are tough, so they should be good at farmin…!!’fac
irrJZE“Student Marie?”x6k
BQ9“I, I wasn’t thinking about anytthingg!!”lkQk
eL6NA“O, okay?”9ZioV
NID0gGkWhat was that just then?Xu5KO0W
GigMarie shook her head to get rid of the scary thoughts that appeared in her mind. She wasn’t someone who would have such violent thoughts in her mind after all!kQC
p8Yy4p“M, Miss Deina!”TxHJlzw
rhi“Yes?”FL27D
TIHop6N“Y, you see, I have been recently experimenting with making potions and elixirs at the laboratory!”Ad9ackS
YM0A97M“Yes. I’ve heard about it. I heard there are a bunch of people from the Magic Department that are lining up to buy your elixirs. Is that true?”3oeFjN
VYZxHp“Ugh, yes, but… It’s a bit… Weird for me.”enFW
7ciQB“Why? The potions made with the blood of a high-class vampire should be priceless though?”Mi1nk
kamProfessor Deina jested that she wouldn’t have to worry about money all life even if she did nothing but sell her blood.xRjsLA2
DUKAJ“…It’s embarrassing.”Oyk
QwVMGt“Ah…”bOsI8eW
SFXkDeina reminded herself that Marie was still a teenage girl. It was normal for her to feel repulsed by the idea of feeding her blood to someone else – unless it was someone special for example.m9zd
LcIc8“But what about it?”cH2egT
Ywh1ViB“Actually… I want to make the potion more delicious.”EKB
mz7HMjRWasn’t she repulsed until just then? Why would she bother making it delicious? Professor Deina tilted her head in doubt.KLFKet
w3I“Why? People would line up to buy a bit of your unprocessed blood for gold coins, won’t they?”FzvxY
iBWt“Actually the thing is, such and such—–”Cke4I
eQQiF“Hooh, hooh… N, now this is a very interesting idea… The effect does change depending on the materials and such but this…”R41
1cQ“Do you think it will be possible?”g5Mtx
rxuOp“Theory-wise… It looks like there are no problems. But we would need a lot of materials and precise experiments. We would need some clinical experiments… We might even need a knight to…”rCr3Bys
vOP1g“May I please ask for your help?”ijtmvL
4aQsMRo“Hmm… It might be a bit strange of me to say this, but I’m quite an expensive and busy person as well, you see. Maybe if you share a little bit of your blood, Student Marie?”NQ5ItGR
eBWeL“Would this much be enough?”4jWPd
TJk– Whisper whisper!DdQ
vwgVY46– Nod nod!YxHi
B6c8Professor Deina and the 2nd year student Marie shared a firm handshake as a symbol for their successful negotiation.kXUbzw
jhmMuAJ“Kuhum…! We kind of strayed off the topic. This experiment with the King of Iron Mountain is on the magnitude of a Unique Grade demonic beast’s alpha ability.”ViJ
5mooQ“Is that why you’ve purchased a bunch of demonic beasts?”kvodB9k
ylbAu“Yes. If we could analyze this ability and be able to control it at free will… Theoretically, that means humans would be able to control most of the demonic beasts and spirits around the world at will.”JPAxlH
zikIt was a more incredible experiment than Marie had initially thought, and was one that was compellingly attractive to mages. If this experiment succeeded, humanity would be able to practically nullify the risk of demons.dvolGDB
rkAyf6“I’ve also purchased Grade 1 demonic beasts like the King Tyrant and Melting Dragon just for this experiment. My article will definitely be included in next year’s Tower’s academic journal!”Whsl
jwdGrade 1 demonic beasts. They were extremely powerful monsters which most Grade 1 knights and mages would team up to fight against for safety measures.UD9D
6yddUFgThere were semi-Unique Grade demonic beasts as well, but there were essentially zero organizations in the world that could capture these alive so it was impossible to buy them with the experiment budget.ax8f5Yx
O01YgGN‘But aren’t hundreds of Fang Boars more expensive than those two monsters?’QuJf
cwg6eProfessor Deina did purchase them at a low price since they were easy to catch during the breeding season, but the problem was with their maintenance cost. Grade 1 demonic beasts were monsters in a different plane that could survive without eating anything by changing the mana in the air into energy but on the other hand, Fang Boars needed to have as much food as their own weights everyday.U8g
fyyKNA few days of the experiment and the maintenance fees of the Fang Boars would quickly drain their budget.7M2
MHMluMarie was in the middle of calculating how long it would take for the budget to run dry when a different work partner visited Professor Deina’s lab.I7Uz
z8VTnpHe was the professor who had been working at the Academy for 10 years with eye-catching afro hair and black sunglasses, Fermack Daman.JW6qot
K6jYpLq“Wassup! Professor Deina, I’m here~”rEX3rV
o0t7“Oh. You’re right on time.”tdsS95
tFf“Should I have come earlier?”ymxwrfc
kesy89U“No no no. You came at the perfect timing. We just finished organizing the rune that will be carved on the King of Iron Mountain.”jMHIE
j0R3L“Rune?”okloh0K
ftOMarie tilted her head after hearing Professor Deina’s words. They were supposed to be experimenting with the alpha ability, so what was this rune for?91g
ICwXk“Ah. I guess I haven’t explained that part yet. The King of Iron Mountain is currently being sealed.”uoswyn
v8x“I… Am aware of that.”u5OIl
kBAs“That seal was done by using runes 80 years ago, by the previous chairman, Sir Biren, Senior Professor Johsephine and… The knight who used to be praised for being the strongest of the times, Tates Valtazar.”OYO
9dhlCAg“Do you need Rune Magic to lift the seal?”dz3bcbw
z95“Yes. And we need a highly proficient Rune Mage for that.”QN2ITH
tyDM“I see. Professor Fermack… Is a famous Rune Mage after all.”cVc4GWq
PdbVICwHis tales were well-known and it was even included in the magazines published by the Guardian Alliance, the ‘Guardians’.TCgAq
ycfsA stylish high-class knight who merged boxing with Rune Magic – Fermack Daman was a hero who even defeated Basilisk, a semi-Unique Grade demonic beast along with a party.0FLhh
N62uq“But… Isn’t it dangerous to lift the seal? It is a Unique Grade demonic beast…”gCfI
L4cX2V“Haha. Here in the laboratory, we have strict legion-ranked restriction systems and layers of gravitational pressure devices. Even if it’s a Unique Grade demonic beast, it won’t be able to escape from this place in a weakened state after 80 years of confinement.”r32aduk
ipOThe confident voice of Professor Deina made Marie feel all the more anxious.70fu
8IISIk‘Nnn… This always leads to a problem in all the novels I read though…’3ZUYQP2
nouBut what else could she do? As a mere experiment assistant, she could only trust Professor Deina and move on. Besides, there was something she heard from Korin.rcOT
6QrecW2『I have a plan.』MICjMuj
L4BOroAlthough Marie wasn’t sure how he would carry out the plan now that he was outside the city, she still trusted the boy without any suspicion.IjzI
MwzbfMk****wuyJ
wqbnRAlicia’s idle life went on day by day. The refreshing spring breeze was on its leave as soothing heat was slowly starting to seep into the ground in this early summer.X1Z4
JoCInside the hot deep fryer, the potato croquette was resting on the frying basket after being scooped up from the scorching oil.eem
uVoU“Here you go.”0o3iW
RwZLHAfter buying a potato croquette at one of the street vendors of the Academy, Alicia took a big bite into it.wtt0
1qy8nYyThe melting sensation of potatoes and the deep fragrance of oil filled her enclosed mouth but there was something lacking.r3j1UV
uML‘I used to eat this a lot with Mr. Korin.’HfMh65A
2QSuSLThis was the store they used to visit after training at the training rooms to replenish energy while having some unhealthy food. It might be because she wasn’t with her usual company, but Alicia wasn’t 100% content with the food today.ectG
CeQTraining together, having snacks and discussing each other’s skills took a lot of time and it was thus very common for the two of them to also have a meal afterwards.we0Fi
U5VB3u4It had only been a month since the matter with her older sister had been handled, but in that short period of a month, Korin had become a very important person inside Alicia’s mind.p8pmMa
VeO2BS‘Maybe I should just go back and read a romance novel.’CjKeMZ
SSnE7SReading romance novels was a new hobby of hers. While going to the library for the group assignment, she happened to come across the romance novel section and those served to be a decent pastime activity.R4yBWx
s4gShe especially liked it when she could link the male protagonist to someone else…yTas
sooz– Tap tap!Aodk2Dn
GeHOIt was then. Someone tapped her on her shoulder.evJhaE
xgjHyWK“Who is… Huaahk?!”1Bmae
QjxGA red werewolf… That looked a bit closer to a dog instead of a wolf had been touching her shoulder.Foqg
eHpelVZ“A, are you Doggo?”IJF
sGZA– Nod.3lu
yTzSU1One of the abilities Marie gained after awakening into a vampire was the ‘Familiar of Blood’. Doggo was the familiar born from her blood that could also be considered as her child.tA1
KOJ2fOIts name was very adorable but as someone who knew about the monstrous power of this familiar, Alicia couldn’t help but feel slightly frightened.Veo
NdvDCv– Flick flick!sSP0
H2dFq“Uhh. Do you want me to follow you? Is Senior Marie calling me?”2Yd5JoP
5F0– Nod nod.dCxmxn
Q9YYcShe wanted to ask why but it’s not like Doggo could speak in human language so Alicia decided to obediently follow it from behind.bG7
4E1There were times when Doggo would come and take Korin with him so Alicia was quite used to this turn of events as well.6UHdM3
g0L6h‘Actually, how was Doggo able to find out where Mr. Korin was every single time?’fJASyna
ZfniRsWas it because it was a dog? But rather than a dog, Doggo was similar to a magic formula that didn’t even looked like an organism. Let alone a sense of smell, it was very questionable whether it even had internal organs like other animals.wCR
pE2ATPJ– Woof!0yq
T9hg“A, alright! I’m coming!”bKbD
Ar9AXPAlicia hurriedly chased after Doggo after he shouted at her to hurry up. Before long, she arrived at the laboratory in the western region of the Academy.0yE
otzcRF“I wonder why she called me?”Bo9zYx
ekOc5She didn’t have much connection with Marie, the 2nd year senior. Since she met her quite often while traveling around with Korin, she did greet her every time but that was it.51VH5LY
6jbH7io‘What’s her relationship with Mr. Korin? They looked very close…’POfPV
ts1VAlicia wasn’t aware of the things Korin had done to save Marie. Because she only knew about the false announcement of Chairman Eriu Casarr and Senior Professor Josephine, it was natural for her to be oblivious to the nature of their relationship.gi95n
EwtwUVHowever, one thing she did know was that Marie and Korin’s relationship was far from being a normal senior-junior relationship.8BftS
1l8The fact that Marie had a connection with Korin which she wasn’t aware of was something that subconsciously caused Alicia to feel a slight sense of distance. She herself wasn’t really sure about the nature of her feelings though.ujRO
FmG4VzK“Woof!”Ox58V
KffUVB1 – 1st basement floor of the laboratory – even though this floor was only for the professors and staff and did not allow student entry, Alicia was easily able to pass the check thanks to Doggo being in the lead.T26lm
fjbAfter seeing Doggo, the securities immediately let her go through.ZHYRAe
SuFXFm0When she arrived at the basement, she realized that the underground lab was completely different from the dark and somber image in her mind.jR5e
CJHbrbF“Wow…”mlmdyg
i59The basement was incredibly enormous. At the center was a hollow space that connected B1 all the way down to B3, and going along the sides was a platform which appeared to have been made by carving out a rock, that led to the rooms where mages were conducting all sorts of experiments.bzYUk
UfBZdAlchemy, demonic beasts, astral experiments, cultivation of magic plants, dissection, magic engineering… There were all sorts of experiments taking place, and Alicia could also see through the windows of the rooms, several students that were here as either assistants or observers.VWg3w0
3SYjUAs expected of one of the dream jobs of mages, it was on an entirely different scale.AYM
drq“Woof!”TXyX
d8eo2u2“O, okay! Can you please not bark? It’s scary…”34wwG7
VarShe was led to one of the labs on B1 and felt puzzled after smelling something.E2w
ha3“Is this food? Ah.”kXq
I1cLnDFThere seemed to be demonic beasts that could be eaten by demonic beasts, and Alicia did hear how researching about that was also one of the jobs of mages. Those things would become poison when consumed by a normal person, but knights or mages with enough immunity might receive some positive enhancement from it.k5Yxtz
51NS06“Excuse me… Senior Marie?”WUY
d8qBoiling inside the laboratory was an experiment beaker holding something murky inside as it gave off a savory scent, and next to that was Marie gazing at the beaker with an extremely serious gaze.jv0
Pui6G“Hmm… What if I add a bit more of ‘this’ here? No, it’s too much. That’s going to take away from the main ingredient…”uOgm
ROcAlicia carefully walked up to the girl with water-colored hair that was immersed in the experiment, and spoke to her.u1C
iBnoPIR“Senior Marie-nim?”nJo
cqFDGHO“Haht…!”RE05
oCpMarie jumped in the air while letting out a cute gasp. After seeing Alicia, she settled her startled heart.DheDSfn
Bxm7“It was you, Junior Arden…! You surprised me there!”dJM7aUh
kmON5K“Sorry… For bothering you while you were in the middle of an experiment. Was it a very important one?”fLc19e
lBcwz“I, it’s nothing! I was just doing this and that during the short break!”lh5
56BWUaSAlicia heaved a sigh of relief after hearing her say that it was nothing, because she had often heard rumors of how mages utterly detested being interrupted during their experiment.fzO0
9kMvFtk“By the way, why did you call me? I did come because Doggo told me to come but…”qsx
E8liS“Nn nn. Actually, Korin wanted me to explain something to you during this time in his stead!”qWf
wXjj“He did?”S5poQPv
3h2zRpVThere seemed to be a message left behind by Korin who had left for the grading test a few days ago… So Alicia readied herself.LmC
nGdu1l“Oh right. Before that, would you like to have a sip of this?”uH7
HAFfLaMarie said while pointing at the liquid inside the beaker. All sorts of medicinal herbs had been added to the murky liquid inside the beaker that was constantly bubbling up.cvnsI6
SjepL“Uhh… Is this a potion?”CvCoL
IOn0z3o“I, I guess? You can say that…”d53
KqKMG“I would be glad to have it, if it’s good for the body.”BNWtxnl
bmh3Y“It will definitely be good for your body! I’ve only added nice ingredients to it!”ELGpts8
5q4uT“Wow~. Really? I haven’t had things like this in a long time. I used to have them quite often back in my hometown but I was busy earning a living after coming to the Academy, you see. I didn’t have time nor money.”C9G
MhDY2c“I see. W, would you like to try? It should be tasty as well!”zPXXLG
ChtpTasty? Since when were potions and elixirs supposed to be tasty? Especially for potions like this that were similar to an elixir, they only showed their effect once per person so taste wasn’t even a consideration for most…FQs
LJcnOBut the savory scent spreading out of the elixir inside the beaker was a sign that Marie wasn’t lying about the taste.hNOEdI
babiidl“I, it’s hot so take your time. We also have to check its safety, so…”UVY
jfIroZd“Yes, I will. What was that at the end, sorry?”hNqEp
xclBVhg“Nothing! I’m very happy to have such a tough junior!”MjZ
PjueLEven though the last sentence sounded a bit strange, Alicia carefully started to drink the boiling medicinal decoction, thinking that Marie wouldn’t give her something dangerous.LnQqsNs
WGHT“Uhpp?!”HJjZo5
rXp“W, what’s wrong?”Ic2lGF
Kuu0“It’s delicious! Like, the taste of my hometown? I can even feel that from it!”Xm5jEk
BrMPF“R, really?!”vvDkID
ADKGLMarie started writing down something on her notepad.nU1pfOJ
a0wl4Taste, check.83qY
o6HRPhSafety, check.wCi
mep6Poison, check.Zq4k
2IPmZMore experiments required just in case.4FstURw
w11iZ****Pjb
MKlv“It’s over there.”VMM3ePv
vMXaopThe place we came to under the guidance of one of the staff members from the Alliance was a large mansion built in the middle of a mountain. According to the mission, it seemed that the owner of this mansion became pessimistic after a failed business idea and committed suicide with his entire family.WYJ88P
vIzGIt would have become a well-known venue for a ‘test of courage’ in modern Earth and that would have been all, but this was a fantasy world.vnI8yvm
B7v0qyFIn this place, demonic spirits were born from the grudges of the dead. In other words, a tragic end like a family suicide was highly likely to end up creating a demonic spirit.3bp5
OShjDV“The grudge itself shouldn’t have been enormous but the land wasn’t good for us. This place is near the center of the ley lines and has been a long-time favorite of demonic beasts, so it seems that the spirit ended up swallowing a bunch of demonic aura.”noU4gn
u7A0C“Can’t believe he decided to build a mansion in such a place.”b9zD7
X8PKZ“It’s probably because of that bad instinct of his that he failed his business.”h0vhNvi
dm9Because of the tragedy and all sorts of unfortunate events, this haunted house became extremely dangerous. Since it was a stationary spirit, it couldn’t move anywhere else to wreak havoc, but should nonetheless be immensely powerful in its home grounds.Ej5m4
xvcdThe demonic spirit that had to be defeated this time was the ‘Haunted House’ itself.QFT5T
F55s4A“What do you say? Will you investigate this as well? Just letting you know, lighting it on fire is not going to let you remove that house.”YMw
228HOld Man Haman waited for my response with an expectant gaze, asking what kind of detailed plan I’ll use this time to play with the demon.uqK
UbM6wXoUnfortunately, investigating a demonic spirit was meaningless for me.Vfr
k6ruzbPBecause of one of the 3 rules engraved onto my body, the Restriction 〚I do not perceive spirits〛, I couldn’t even sense them. So…Ka0R
kH2tlgq“I will deal with it in 30 seconds.”PW9O2z
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