Chapter 57: Abduction
v3MThe regular meeting of the Grand Council had ended.YHbrsD
E1m5S7People began to disperse just as they had gathered.0wT
QfWpTQAs befitted figures of ducal rank or higher, enormous armies gathered in the central area.tsN
nLphnIn that state, it also served as a kind of military parade to display and evaluate national power.k1K
ZiMeElIIn that sense, Escolea was far from such ostentation.OY1
N2XaEGmThey were a city of knowledge, free from diplomatic conflicts.BDP0DAb
fycIHThey preferred practical and efficient movement, so they used magical carriages powered by the magic of mages.hazwPf
MfduPO“Couldn’t we switch to normal carriages?”CEqbRF
acERector Bernard complained to the mage acting as the driver.nfmeOv
oHIi“Not this again?”2xdz0Tc
XWn“Every time I come to the Grand Council, I think about it. As the rector of a city, you know? One should maintain some style.”8ctx
HFyeM4A“Ah, don’t talk about style. You’re not a mercenary who’s rolled around in the mud. If a pot-bellied lord uses those words, it just looks ridiculous.”ZzP64e
Slb“Besides, in a city as cramped as a chicken coop, where are we supposed to raise horses? Even one would take up space for a hundred more scholars, they’d surely criticize us.”Jod
VJv9n“Even so, I’m the rector, they should respect me a little…”be1
cKrEO98“Do you want an audit to come and cause a scandal? In the noble world, luxury matters, but those who understand that don’t become scholars.”g3XH9xU
rSx2Y“I want to ride in a carriage too… sigh…”jPaiXcg
wBkpP7“If you keep complaining, I quit. I’m going home right now.”8Z4F4H
WaNH“Ah… fine, fine, it’s my fault. Let’s go, let’s go.”8Vxxj6d
TdA4JIt seemed like the subordinate was the one in charge.wUCb3
EKTThat the rector had no choice but to yield to a mage threatening him.FCYl
hLRsqV‘If we’re going to talk about efficiency, I wish we could load magic without needing mages…’SHKx2
4u9tBernard muttered to himself.yHBL
jdqHVEZ‘Yes, if we could just inject mana and move it… it would be perfect.’0RKrA
Wul5Some gears, levers.Q7Nd
zo3I70If it were only about operating it, it would be ideal.dAdp
cpwIWhile thinking that, he began sketching in his notebook.XJL
KCGDBBThe carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly stopped.y2QKy
TebGX“What’s wrong?”fbbPL
vl8DV“It seems someone is blocking the road. From the looks of it, they must be bandits.”1Vew
m3jBandits who block roads to collect tolls exist everywhere.y5LOI19
L8hko“Should I eliminate them? It’s not like we have anything else to do.”ZeCGV
fR25u6The mage smiled while making a throat-slitting gesture.MH5
SMkFN“Let’s avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Give them some money.”8hHYt
YHsDS“Give them money?”2NJr
F1Sg“Everyone is trying to make a living. Give them something and let them go.”PuR04
xOM2S“That’s why they always underestimate us…”QaM
7Oqo8JR“What did you say?”tQdZKYF
ciLeX“Nothing, I’ll be right back.”bte
5HVaThe mage took some silver coins and got off the carriage.tlEtwOp
qFHLBernard watched with displeasure.fNM
WeQ9cZThe mage tossed the coins onto the ground from a distance, signaling them to take them and let them pass.1NpMM
tnH0erThen—eJP
yOo09A sharp flash cut through his body.OvF
8Kjn7“Huh?”OMeclv
18xHAnd his upper half slid down along the line of the cut.4yjRTA2
rdLJDh0Where his torso had been, there was now a beggar smiling grotesquely.N3f
LOR6And a sword.cy7O
Xa5rZ“W-what… what is this?!”9py6tUT
XBpThe rector screamed in horror.F91diOA
D0ah8The mage in the seat prepared a spell instead of panicking.sO0HFC
56osq8yIt was time to prove why he earned 50 gold coins a day.Eqq
X0nRZ2But something flew toward him at great speed.oFwD5cb
2n7Crash!jy8OKhW
NoKuY6YA knife pierced through the window and stabbed into his neck.SFn1ayE
stwog8“Ghk…!”aLxZUT
PjBThe spell failed.1FV
9kePiadThe magic circle vanished into the air.J7LLpEQ
pT7In an instant, two 4th-circle mages were eliminated.V9Y
Ds0The rector, paralyzed, watched as the beggar approached.CMBZ
9bsHe understood instinctively.eoMX7fJ
nvszRunning would only make him die faster.DgfxW1P
wogN8bpThe man who had killed the two mages opened the door and sat in front of him.1hIU
lPyTAHZHe smiled maliciously.KF9CDrZ
ZtYEzK“Nice to meet you, rector of Escolea.”I2NHzqd
T30aR7j“W-who are you?”sNcILmn
Qne“You don’t need to know who I am. Let’s talk about you.”o7Qw
bLuThe man continued without giving him a choice.K5TKP
VGGltThe rector nodded stiffly.c5mXfk
4YaJ“You’re the one who proposed at the Grand Council that there are signs of the return of the black dragon Godwin, right?”Yi9olo
8iOCZH“That’s right…”U0kRQq
2z6WjD“What were you thinking when you did that?”sX4V
Ign“For the safety of the continent…”BlxqZvb
Aamm6“Even knowing you might be putting yourself in danger?”VCGRBS
vu6tc“I might be wrong. But even so, I had to say it…”Xmbxl
GsSwUbs“Ah.”kqVyj
iarThe man interrupted him and pointed a knife at his neck.zCBJu2x
zAR“Let’s cut the nonsense. If you drag this out, only you will suffer.”F0Dljgo
rehGAqAThe blood of the two mages dripped from the knife.3QNi
ycaThe rector swallowed, trying to suppress his trembling.29LU
R94WS“Weren’t you going to present a device to predict the appearance of demons?”A6kFf
jm8xdQ“H-how do you know that?”xxnW
DfAZ8n“There are ears everywhere.”c5Va1X
puRz3The man smiled.yYWN
MaBFdYZThat secret was only known by a few trusted scholars, his assistant, and Perda Valdrova.sH3
hVVe“Perda Valdrova!”E8LnR9
G69The rector suddenly shouted.2Is
LNc0KBO“Did he send you?”NWiC
T0oy2“What do you think?”ixC
EPtoiQO“Damn it! I should have realized when I saw that look in someone so young…!”iw2ZyAN
S6FHpGtThe rector shouted furiously.CoPlO
fgUEFThe man, instead of answering, let out a laugh.warJhUb
8YS“How adorable the rector is. I like you more than I thought.”ir53a
0tcyhbH“What does that mean?”LQYYst
vzpBTum“What else?”DMlgB
w5CNhkOHe pulled out a syringe.Wed
jGOThe enormous needle looked like a weapon.9G1
dsgFLdIBut what was truly terrifying was the black, viscous liquid inside.AfKf2
mHYULG“What is that?”V7Ycs
cdh6FQ6“A vaccine.”3Xec
eKkal“A vaccine?”YRnZeG
PRdhCjo“Yes. One that will eliminate all the bacteria that dominate this world.”i6e
NRWThE5The man pressed the plunger.WGVBw
CfJ5And stabbed it into himself.uFiX19N
dvb“Ugh…!”kdg
x1qJTeHe groaned in pain.3xcIaJ
ueQMBut he wasn’t dying.QHF1
OzJIt was a mutation.rIR
BiR5FNo, an evolution.FtPbpQ
40C503A tar-like substance emerged from his skin, covering him like oil.n6U6
daspdHis body turned completely black.FtYg
TEtA07EMore than human, he looked like a soft mannequin, like a new cocoon.MlM
lbWkFrom within, red eyes shone as the surface broke.Gu0Pjv
eobWpJIWhen he opened his mouth, sharp, beast-like teeth showed menacingly.cP8WM
JGIi“C-could it be…?”uGGV
P8orPAs he put all the pieces together, a word flashed in the rector’s mind.fJQ
34E“Demon…!”VKlawwi
71jwJ3The man had become a demon.KIKAa
isIOq“Hahaha! At last… at last the grace of that being runs through this body as well!”iCSz
91e3eThe man caressed his face, immersed in ecstasy.l0yLQ
YBMS7Like someone who had fulfilled his deepest desire, he reveled in the pleasure, and then turned his gaze toward the rector.YJb
4HCxDInstinctively, he felt death.K05B7j
ktUDesperate to survive, he threw a question at him.RPyJ
rDjb“Why would someone with your ability… serve as a follower of demons?”mBSEcj
mSIBFollowers of demons were people with nothing to lose.7Kjde
7iafEven more ruthless than demon worshippers.5ko
8hrBmHF“I too was once a knight who knew honor.”3Z1Rq3
3knThe man let out a deranged laugh.r4ZcP6
HPhF6A“But no matter how much you protect honor, if you serve a king who falls to the words of a miserable schemer, everything collapses in an instant.”adZ2HQN
qGt7He was a fallen knight.h0901
smZXb“So, since I have nothing left to lose, I intend to destroy everything.”XntVfzs
6RTBLn2“If you become a demon… you won’t be able to live normally either in the human world or on the continent of Serdes… You will become a lost soul that can go neither to heaven nor to hell. Even so, why…?”Ubzo
aCw2nQg“That’s what you think.”gieTUT
FmDThe man raised the knife and cut Rector Bernard’s arm.uDC1
eOsBYIt wasn’t a deep wound, but blood began to flow.vyEw7IO
WDtHcSXThe man pressed the wound with his own hand.TEiQhrD
7M1z1ZIt seemed absurd to think of “injure and then heal,” but something surprising happened.Xb0Qw
B0WqKgk“Mother… Marune…”CXzX
Z5nHis black body began to take on a skin tone.mVms
41iCIt wasn’t just a change in color.iXpwD97
BnDAeZmSome parts grew, others shrank.CH7d
7eyIn the end, he took on a form completely familiar to the rector.wjGWte0
JdiqIt was Bernard.HLHojrO
t4xEHR5Himself.9py
ujUMaRQ“Well, rector? Do I look like you?”rQKN9
rjWuUThe man, now with Bernard’s appearance, smiled.23goQO
mqZUUA smile full of malice, unlike anything the real one had ever shown.6HgYUhr
gZkhkX“What do you plan to do with my research?”FiCRy
ldWyx“Well, it seems you really are smart.”fXd7k
1hycfRAThe man tapped his head with the knife.aOxrf6W
gPH“You already know. If you’re developing a device to predict the appearance of monsters, what demons must do is obvious.”oESse
RHVJI24Ruin the research.9iEQg
zXPjWIMake sure the device never exists.0fAVG
lN6B0q“D-don’t think I’ll let you!”Z4B
EWYT3cFaced with the possibility of losing his life’s work, Bernard gathered courage.W5cQbJ3
lCWUBut the other “Bernard” moved quickly and grabbed him by the neck.DJKbT
MhJlXx9He squeezed slowly, firmly.GyxFe
9fbUy“Ghk…!”n7zu
fp2CH“Rest in peace. I will follow you to the void as well.”YsLG
rMtMslJust as he was about to kill him—Uzg45
Zss“Ambush!”6GTA6z
3tB4fuNSomeone’s shout from outside pierced through the carriage.8eU0
VmVxyYThe fake Bernard turned his head.FD8hj
DMvEOutside, there was already combat.tPa65d
D22cFyStrangers facing off against demon followers disguised as beggars.OHoCEg
0oWTjpMore than twenty men were being overwhelmed by just two.DChZHN
fCjBrown hair and blonde hair.PLEadZr
OcyaOZ5Faced with the unexpected attack, the man released Bernard’s neck and asked.Dnss
CKlxp“When did you assign an escort?”pkp
zJV“W-what escort…?”gzVgC1
XV1ZEyoThe rector replied without understanding.oQjt
ViUWithout giving him time to react, the demon followers were quickly eliminated.jgJw
Go5Those pretending to be bandits were just fodder.x7SLE7
gNokk32The two were highly skilled knights.i30Gt
5LA4hW“This is troublesome.”Iay2qq
f3jJ8The man spoke with genuine concern.J3BwAs
0tofAmAgainst two mages, a surprise attack was enough.mLzz
1XsOBut against two knights at the same time, it was different.r7qG5
s790VzHe decided to use a tactic.nfrRFa2
qVIDistraction.q2E
CDYLmYM“Hey, you! Be careful!”awWG
QhqjtHe opened the carriage door and ran out in desperation.g6Nru
A9984B“Inside! There’s someone just like me! He wants to kill me!”uHkl6
73LghTHe ran as if terrified.jmpuwaz
DtTpcXBut at the same time, he firmly concealed a reversed knife in his arm.DrhR
O6wThe moment he was within range, he would attack.vxiY
6GNL“Quick, kill tha—ghk…!”iBLfsh
YpnWwHe didn’t get far before falling.6GZP
WIYSA knife was embedded in his ankle.Y9O
qGfyV0XIt was identical to the one carried by the brown-haired man.h0r
6YY“Aaagh! What is the meaning of this?!”nym
y34There was no answer.7mPd
UZRsmKThe brown-haired one rushed toward him and delivered a brutal kick to his head.JHDVsm
ujosiThud!mgy3
MGGtm0A dull sound, like bones breaking.WvuSU
ydscCThe fake Bernard’s body collapsed lifelessly.qJqCDt
uCjThe blond man widened his eyes in surprise.PBSbs
Pf8n“Sir Zeid! What are you doing to the rector?!”MPV
MnmOThe man called Zeid pointed at the fallen one.I4v
1Jk“That’s not the rector.”OhEN
2CWc“What are you saying? It’s not even a magical transformation! With that blow you must have killed him—… huh?”BKYx5i
NY0He stopped upon seeing the real Bernard coming out of the carriage.H9gilm
fJj“Why are there two…?”X8heAD
L2IT“Ah… how innocent. You should improve your observation. Tie that guy up properly. I’ll bring the real one.”gpfaEk0
KyTUv“U-understood.”WBXPjv
vgIDiArwen tied up the impostor, while Zeid helped the real one out.gjK1M
XNKH“Are you alright?”A8jyy
vJl“Yes… I’m fine. Are you… from the regent of Valdrova?”6mqsvWk
SH1dRG“Sorry for the delay. I am Zeid Swallow, a knight in service to the Duchy of Valdrova.”cCNb
lavw“The innocent friend here is the knight Arwen. We received orders from the regent to secretly watch over and protect the rector.”2ZObo2D
v9Ni“Subordinates of the regent…? Then why is someone who stabbed me in the back helping me?”6My
uyT5iX“Huh? I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but for now we’ll take you to our regent.”vefFt
LlTLiAs he had been on the verge of losing consciousness, his head was spinning.iCxcdDB
DoEugwlBut Bernard had no other choice.dxpdMvq
bM3dThe mage who was supposed to drive the carriage was dead, so they could no longer move.S60o
8yiiRThe road was long, and walking alone in that place was too dangerous.olSsqmq
tClRector Bernard resigned himself.K9tBf2t
vliePl“Alright. I’ll go with you.”n2fnnMc
MdoWV7e“Then first we’ll stop the bleeding.”6d6Ccf
JhFFcwZeid treated Bernard’s wound in a simple manner, and Arwen tied up the other Bernard and mounted him on a horse.qmc2he
qnNXi2Thus they left the site of the incident and departed.KQY73yW
OcJmAs they rode, Arwen couldn’t stop thinking about a question.Mf7ib1r
r3cu“Sir Zeid.”XcRsQ
TUu“What is it?”RmI
N5gNVWM“How did you know which one was the fake?”lo2lrQ4
9kwo9qHe had attacked without hesitation, which allowed him to take him by surprise.Gl3q5fn
8xg2nVQBut Arwen did not understand the reason for that certainty.GfLZ
wyb1Zeid smiled slightly and replied.aIaY1J
qDy“It didn’t shine.”3iXwAV
zzJqjP“…Huh? Shine?”J3Qhvr
aA9OmC“The fake one couldn’t imitate the shine of the rector’s gleaming head.”YMi7U
3FfJq“……”POhE
IMEJa8tArwen’s gaze subtly shifted past Zeid’s back.y1n8J
Ybb8Bernard’s head softly reflected the moonlight.FQ0
rwK“Ah.”TaSa9q6
OPm58It was absurd, but he didn’t know what to say.FInMm
jc3h***hSl
mYVBAfter riding all night, they arrived at a place where a carriage was waiting for them.AGGZC
O8eThere stood the carriage and the regent of Valdrova’s tent.aRB8t
FsdyA young silver-haired maid welcomed them.YuMuAU
kI1bx“This way.”NYFyP0d
LC3AlRThe maid slightly lifted the entrance of the tent, and Bernard entered.xdZEjat
MGFWarmth, different from the cold and merciless wild ground, touched his skin.JrV
EDvEn6yThe interior was several times larger than it appeared from outside.59ZWjW
nkYoIt was so cozy and well-prepared that it didn’t even feel like being inside a tent.yzskyYz
Hxa‘Isn’t a dimensional space tent an incredible treasure?’sye
vCzEven a simple dimensional pocket, made with fairy dust, was already a treasure.xLkC1
1eSbNWdBut a tent of that kind was on another level.awruXw
jb8FDiEOnly an imperial-level king… or a dragon, could possess something like that.1hx
yIezipHe realized once again that he was the fiancé of a dragon.NcVDc1
6Imln1“Welcome.”Rp3N
rRWW61A young man with gray hair and blue eyes.BQ6
YnNPerda received him.fLEMsjJ
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationIt was not shining this is the best answer I ever heard 🤣