The Demon Prince goes to the Academy - Chapter 258

I didn’t convince Sarkegar.

It was just a threat. I can’t hide the fact that I care about Ellen, so the only way I can do that is to threaten Sarkegar with my life.

Sarkhegar will not be able to touch Ellen.

He won’t be the kind of guy who wants to test whether my threats are true or not.

But eventually, Ellen was exposed.

While Sarkegar is unlikely to do anything about it, Ellen can be watched and tracked by Sarkegar at any time.

Sarkhegar would now keep a close eye on Ellen. It was entirely possible that Sarkhegar would be the first to act if Ellen realized my identity and tried to do something to me.

Elise didn’t ask me anything at first because it seemed complicated enough.

Sarkegar returned home with anxiety and fear, and so did Elise.

This is not the end of the story.

Back to the original topic, we need to solve Aaron Mede’s problem.

Technically, I’m not the one who caused the accident this time, Ellen and Harriet are.

In fact, they did battle in Aaron Mede’s house. Of course, it was Ellen who deployed the anti-magic field and physically ran.

I didn’t actually kill Aaron Mede, so I didn’t have to admit it.

But I’m even more reluctant to tell them that I’ve been in contact with a Black Order wizard. Of course they’d think I was crazy.

And they don’t even know that Aaron Mede was a member of the Black Order.

It felt a little weird to hear Ellen’s detailed reasons for getting to this point.

You could cover up Aaron Mede’s death, but that would bring Harriet and Ellen under suspicion.

Mr. Mustang’s introduction to these two leads to Aaron Mede’s death, so there’s a fairly obvious connection between Aaron Mede’s death and their involvement.

You can’t hide it.

If so, it should be exposed.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there were no living users in Aaron Mede’s house. They were all controlled by the homunculus in the first place.

Ellen and Harriet visited Aaron Mede’s house and saw many inhumane experiments in sobriety being performed there, and Aaron Mede tried to kill them, but was repelled.

That way.

“You want me to do that?”

“I said that, not that you should.”

Bertus crossed his arms and smirked at my request.

“I don’t know where you went wrong, but one minute you’re a chimera, the next you’re a homunculus. Your life has taken a turn for the worse, that’s for sure, and now I’m kind of tired of being a part of it.”

“It’s not my fault this time, he tried to kill me.”

“I mean, rightly or wrongly, I’m already disenchanted with the idea of getting involved in that.”

“……Yes.”

Only Bertus or Charlotte could have framed the issue that way. The facts weren’t all that different. In reality, Aaron Mede tried to kill Ellen and Harriet, and before that, he tried to kill me.

I was going to say something about the Black Order, but I stopped myself. The Imperials can make their own assumptions about Aaron Mede’s membership in the Black Order based on his underground workshop.

“That’s disgusting. I can’t believe Ms. Temple was doing that. What are wizards…….”

Bertus clicked his tongue in disdain; he was obviously annoyed that there was such a thing as a Temple teacher.

“It would have been handled just fine without your request, so don’t bother.”

“What about the kids?”

“I’m not going to get investigated, because there’s no good that can come of it.”

The mere fact that Dr. Temple’s dabbling in human experimentation and other forms of sobriety is a blow to his image.

The case will be buried. Aaron Mede will be dealt with one way or another, and the issues surrounding it, including the assassination attempt, will sink below the surface.

Those in power don’t want to have to deal with headaches, so some things don’t even get addressed in the first place.

In any world, it’s all the same.

Regardless of my needs, this incident will fizzle out.

[Event Complete – Assassination Threat].

[You have acquired the trait “Qi Sense”].

With that, the assassination event that had my blood running dry for quite some time came to an end.

Trait: Chi Sense

Description: A talent for detecting small, life-threatening to long-term threats. It can be used to aid in combat, or to sense life force. It allows you to feel and recognize danger in advance.

However, this is an abstract sense, not an absolute.

Events that give attributes.

They usually paid off big time.

That was the case again.

* * *

The case is closed. No, it’s not completely resolved, but it’s now in Bertus’ hands. He will put it to rest.

There are no witnesses to the incident, as it is outside the ecliptic and inside the mansion. So there’s no commotion.

So I had to clean up the mess.

I had heard the story of how Ellen and Harriet found Aaron Mede. I knew about it, but I hadn’t organized it.

I first looked for Herriot.

He was locked in his room, not in the magical society, not in the magical lab in his dormitory.

“Hey.”

“…….”

Herriot had a very bad complexion.

“We need to talk.”

“Yes…….”

Herriot cautiously opened the door.

“Do you want to come in?”

Normally, I would have never let him in, but he looked pretty bad right now.

You didn’t actually kill anyone, but you saw something horrible.

Whatever you saw, it must have been more than you could have imagined. It’s not the same as seeing something you’ve only imagined or heard about.

Sitting across from him at the table, Harriet stared blankly at the table.

Normally, I would have been angry at them for doing such a dangerous thing. Just as these guys had a lot to say to me, I had a lot to say to them.

“Why on earth would……. that far?”

“…….”

“You don’t have to make that, you don’t have to make bugs that control people, or mix people and beasts, why do you have to make that?”

Chimera.

Herriot looked at them as Ellen sliced them up and seemed to have a mental breakdown.

I’m tired of the wizard’s malice.

“Reinhardt…….”

“Uh.”

“This time, I know you didn’t mean to……. I know you didn’t do it on purpose…….”

Harriet trembles, and gingerly takes my hand.

“Can I not get involved in something like this? I’m so scared……. I don’t understand……. I don’t know what else……. Fighting with kids, that’s all fine and good……. But this kind of thing……. Can’t I stay away from things like this?”

Herriot trembles and eventually cries.

“I’m afraid you’re going to go too far. No, I’m so scared because I think you’ve already gone…….”

In the midst of it all, I was overly complacent.

Herriot seemed to be afraid of that, too.

“I’d love to, too.”

Harriet’s hand was breaking out in a cold sweat as she squeezed mine.

“I’ll try to do that.”

That’s a lie.

A lie that could only be a lie, a lie that even Harriet would recognize.

I had no choice but to do it for now.

* * *

In the middle of the night, I went to find Ellen.

Herriot blew away the bloodstains with a cleansing spell, so he wouldn’t arouse suspicion when he returned to the temple.

It’s just Ellen and me in the rehearsal hall. Ellen looks at me without saying a word.

-Chulkuk

Without another word, Ellen locked the door to the training room.

I could see why it would do that.

“Summon.”

“……what?”

“Tiamata.”

-Cheating…….

Ellen held a bowl of ramen in her right hand.

“Why.”

“If.”

Ellen stares at me with dark eyes.

“Do it.”

I summoned Tiamata in my right hand.

Ellen lunges at me, her body engulfed in blue flames.

-Bam!

I pushed my physical enhancements to the limit, but in a single blow, Tiamata was out of my grasp and Ellen’s ramen was at my throat.

Overwhelming skill differential.

I wonder if they wanted to show that.

“…….”

Ellen’s eyes burned with anger.

“If it weren’t for Herriot, I might be dead.”

Even the enchanted Ellen might have died in the alchemist’s house without Herriot’s anti-magic field. Ellen was saying that with a straight face.

“You, you shouldn’t have come.”

Ellen, not realizing that I had brought Sarkegar and Eleris with me, was bound to be upset.

-Kang!

Unable to control her anger, Ellen threw the ramen on the floor of the training center.

The holy relics of the gods littered the ground like trash.

“I told you not to do anything dangerous!”

Ellen screamed.

“How many times have I……. How. many. times. have. I. said. that. You. say. that. you. said…… but. what. the. hell. Why the hell……. Why the hell…….”

Ellen is going to play.

Tears were falling from the corners of her eyes.

“What the hell is wrong with……. Why the hell…….”

She thinks that if she and Harriet hadn’t gotten there first, I’d be dead, and she’s right.

I would have surely died if I had gone alone.

Ellen was frustrated because she couldn’t tell me about herself.

I can’t help but think I’m just a vindictive lunatic.

Ellen cried and grabbed my hand.

“Might as well take that gray-haired lady with you. Why on earth would you go alone……. Why on earth……. Why are you trying to do this all by yourself?”

Not bringing Loyar with us was a mistake.

Ellen felt like I was going crazy just dabbling in dangerous things.

That seemed to be too much to bear.

“Are you angry?”

“Ugh. I’m angry.”

Ellen looks at me with red, bloodshot eyes.

“And I, you don’t think I’m angry?”

“…….”

Ellen’s right.

If it weren’t for Harriet’s presence, Ellen would have died in the Alchemist’s Mansion. Unable to fight, unable to deal with the many traps, she would have died.

If you think I’m lucky to be alive, you’re mistaken.

Ellen is the only one lucky enough to be alive.

Sarkhegar realizes that Ellen exists.

If I hadn’t threatened him with my life, Sarkegar would have done it immediately.

And she’s not safe now. Ellen is at long-term risk.

Just as Ellen is upset, I am upset. I can’t even blame Ellen for this, because she’s in danger because of what she did for me.

Still.

I could have done it myself.

Why.

When I saw Ellen emerge from the secret entrance to Aaron Mede’s mansion, I thought my heart would drop.

Why.

It’s still alive, though.

How did we get here?

What if he dies?

Then, Sarkegaard sees Ellen.

What to do.

What to do.

So many thoughts raced through my head that I almost lost my mind.

But I couldn’t tell Ellen all of this.

You were dangerous, and you were going to be dangerous, and I couldn’t say that.

“I’m stronger than you.”

Ellen glares at me and says

“Then I won’t die?”

“I won’t die, but I can protect myself better than you can.”

That’s true.

But…….

Even if we exclude Sarkeghar’s acquaintance with Ellen, Ellen and Harriet were out of line.

No matter how strong Ellen is at this point, she’s still under Loyaar. No matter how strong Herriot is at this point, he’s still under Elise.

They were outnumbered. They fought for their lives without knowing their opponent’s capabilities.

I have a bad case of the narrows.

I’m allowed to do it, but they’re not allowed to do it.

We may all have to be thrown into the fire at some point, but why go through it beforehand?

But I had a more fundamental question.

If Ellen becomes a Swordmaster and Herriot becomes an Archmage.

Am I willing for them to take a risk for me?

Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

“I appreciate your willingness to risk your life for me, but you really don’t have to.”

So I couldn’t help but say that in a harsh way.

“So, you want me to watch you die? At least. What you’re thinking. You could have told me what you were going to do, and then we could have talked, and then……. I could have gone with you…….”

Ellen wasn’t about to back down. She couldn’t talk about it. If she couldn’t tell Sarkegar what made Aaron Mede tick, there was no way she could convince Ellen.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“…….”

Just as I didn’t tell Ellen anything, she figured it out on her own without telling me.

After all, me and Ellen are the same.

If we told each other this story, we wouldn’t be able to tell each other because we’d be afraid they’d take over.

I didn’t tell them because I knew it would put them in danger, and I thought they would jump in knowing it was dangerous.

I could lie and say I’m not going to do anything dangerous now, but Ellen wouldn’t believe me. In reality, I’m going to do something even more dangerous.

“Yeah, it’s not going to matter what I say.”

Ellen had given up.

You can’t convince me. Because if I did, I wouldn’t be living like this.

“If you die, I die.”

Ellen says warningly.

“If you take your life for granted, I’m going to think you’re taking mine for granted, and I’m going to think that.”

Warning or threat.

It was a warning, a threat, but ultimately nothing.

In the end, it was all talk.

But that’s what life is all about.

“That’s what I wanted to say.”

I return the words verbatim. Ellen glared at me. When I didn’t say a word, she seemed angry in a different way than before.

Ellen sent the ramen back, raised her training sword, and threw one at me.

“Listen.”

Ellen points her dueling sword at me.

“If you’re going to push yourself on a topic you’re weak in, you should at least practice more.”

I didn’t feel anything for Ellen’s provocation.

Because I’m actually weak.

“Yeah.”

-Ka-ching!

Ellen lunged, and I parried the sword.

I could see a lot of emotions swirling in Ellen’s eyes as she tried to find my gaps.

In the end, the exercise didn’t work out that day.

It wasn’t a practice, it was a fight.

-Kang!

“Boom!”

That the words we say to each other will scar each other’s hearts indelibly. That something will never be taken back.

Rather than break each other’s hearts, we chose to break each other’s bodies.

Not surprisingly, I was the one who was sicker.