“..So, Chancellor Laplace. You really didn’t know about the dungeon under the academy?”
“I didn’t know. All the books in the Library of Truth were turned blank.”
A neatly dressed man clicked his tongue. It was Chancellor Laplace, who had given a speech at the entrance ceremony of the Grand Hertz Academy.
He was having a conversation with the board members due to the incident of the abduction of the Second Saintess that had occurred the day before.
“Looks like we don’t really need those who rely on the power of the gods. The God of Wisdom? They can’t even make a move against the Hero Church.”
“If it were another Demon King, maybe I wouldn’t know, but it’s ‘all-knowing’! What am I supposed to do? Our library is completely disabled! Third time since me!”
“…Are you saying I should have seen the future where all the students die? Professor Beatrice?”
The sage with demon horns and the librarian chancellor yelled at the short-haired nun.
“Enough, Beatrice. I heard the Apostle tried to mimic you.”
“..Oh my, Dennis. Did you already hear what Shar said?”
“Answer me. Is it true that you really didn’t know about this?”
The woman with half-closed eyes only smiled at the corner of her mouth. There was a slight chill as the corners of her eyes didn’t curve.
“You know where I was at that time, right?”
“…”
“Could it be that you used a stand-in? Is that what you’re saying?”
“There’s a possibility for that. Since you’re a spy….”
Dennis, with his impressive blue hair and white aura, glared at the nun. But Beatrice showed a relaxed demeanor as if nothing was bothering her.
“Stop it. Dennis! You know that Beatrice isn’t a succubus! If we fight among ourselves, only the Demon Kings would be happy!”
“..You should be suspicious. Drake.”
“You get too sensitive when it comes to the Demon King of All Knowledge!”
Drake, the Dragon Slayer, intervened to prevent a fight from breaking out.
“..Is it wrong to get sensitive?”
“Is it because of that person? Didn’t you say you can’t even remember their name!”
“True, but they’re still alive. They exist. My body proves that.”
He let out a slight drunken breath and staggered. As his aura momentarily faded, he uncorked a bottle and emptied it into his mouth.
Once again, white light gently emanated from his eyes.
“..I checked with my spirit… It’s been around since a long time ago. The order is reversed.”
At that moment, a dryad with pink hair, adorned with purple flowers, spoke up.
“What? Professor Maria? That means….”
It was Maria, the Spirit Magic professor. She began to summon a hamster spirit and recounted the information she had found. The tiny spirit was moving its little cheeks.
“They told me the duration the stalactites formed and the level of moss growth. It seems it was ‘always’ prepared.”
“There was something underground even before the academy was established..? Damn, we got played.”
Drake pressed his hand on his forehead, his face contorting. The scar on his face momentarily changed shape. The Dragon Slayer turned his gaze back towards Beatrice.
“Beatrice, are you really not related to the Hero Church?”
“..I’ve never left the academy. Dragon Slayer.”
“Well, if you were involved, the Demon King wouldn’t have stayed quiet!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the blue-haired man stood up. He spoke as if he were addressing everyone present.
“The Demon King’s powers… really vile abilities, don’t you all think?”
“I agree. But take care of your health, Dennis.”
“That’s true.”
“If it weren’t for Head Ake….”
He spoke with a weary tone, having just received a scolding from the nun moments ago. He sighed deeply while gazing at the ceiling.
“I will definitely catch Head Ake. No objections?”
He pulled a spherical magic circle from his palm and levitated it in the air. The magic circle now had quite a few links and was repetitively spinning.
“..This might be possible.”
Dennis, forming a fist to cancel the spell, replied briefly. Unlike just moments ago, he seemed filled with enthusiasm. Seeing this, Drake asked.
“..Dennis, what’s that strange thing?”
“Oh, this? Licht taught me about it. It’s called a 3D Magic Circle.”
While he chuckled and explained to Drake,
“Your junior… Dares to do magic while I’m here?”
“Seems like he hated the old-fashioned swordsmanship. Old man.”
The Dragon Slayer’s brows narrowed. Even though they had trained together for over five years, he seemed dissatisfied that Dennis was gaining points.
“So, should we inform His Majesty the Emperor about this?”
“If it were my brother… well, that would be like saying, ‘There’s a Hero Church underneath the academy your daughter attends!’”
“Would we all die? I oppose that. Things have gotten worse since he became the Emperor.”
When the sage expressed his opposing opinion, the other Ten Heroes nodded in agreement. Seeing that, Maria displayed confusion.
“..Still, he is His Majesty.”
“Oh, Maria. Do you really want to vanish like morning dew? In the end, no students were harmed.”
“But… it was a near miss.”
“Attacking the academy directly would start a war. The Hero Church folks aren’t fools; they wouldn’t do that.”
“That doesn’t mean… Beatrice Cardinal…”
When the blonde nun offered a retort, the dryad had no choice but to take a step back. In reality, there were no casualties, and if the Devil King had aimed to create chaos by targeting the Second Saintess, he would have killed her instead.
“I’m worried… After nearly 20 years of staying still, they’ve started moving. I wonder if it’s okay.”
However, something was nagging in her heart. To ease her anxiety, the Ten Heroes began devising measures once again.
“We’ll have to raise the intensity of the academy’s barrier or block external access as much as possible.”
“We need to work harder on nurturing successors…”
“A Demon King won’t raid the academy. My brother already had a bad time once!”
“..We should conduct practical combat training disguised as homework.”
Then, as if he remembered something, Dennis spoke again to Drake. The expression “had a bad time” triggered a specific piece of information in his mind.
“Oh, right. Wasn’t it Licht, not Nex, that solved this?”
“That’s right! Dennis, it’s your own disciple catching an Apostle. With that level of skill, it should be fine even if the Hero Church comes swarming in! Hahaha!!”
“Yeah, impressive. Plus, Pina is strong too. If the Demon King were to attack, I’d be there, and you’d be there… so it should be fine.”
A moment of silence followed.
“…”
Everyone tried their best to act nonchalant, but a corner of their hearts was filled with worry. A fear of whether another war would erupt again.
“Then… if the tail of the Hero Church is caught, we’ll open it again. They said they couldn’t find any survivors as the dungeon collapsed.”
With the sage’s statement, the agenda for the board meeting concluded.
*
“Ugh, my body really isn’t feeling well.”
As soon as I got out of bed, my body made cracking sounds.
“Did Kainel go off to class?”
Void Slash is a technique that puts a lot of strain on the body. Having used it continuously, it’s no surprise I’m feeling this way. I looked around my solitary dorm room.
“Let’s organize what I learned this time.”
The academy had already submitted an application for my absence. I picked up a notebook from the bookshelf.
First, regarding the Status Window,
“It can go up or down.”
When the Love Line becomes dangerous, it’s marked, and with that, I was able to avoid disrupting the Grand Route.
“It seems that if it surpasses 50%, a relationship begins…. And at 100%, could it be marriage? Well, considering it’s ‘Affection Level.’”
Even while forming a bond with a partner at 62%, this means what follows is crucial.
In the case of Nex, I need to resolve the conflict with Asha Aureus.
I thought the end of romance would perhaps be a happy marriage. Then our Saintess might raise her affection level and get married in the future?
“…”
Given what I saw just before I possessed this body, it might be the case. Tears began to fill my eyes. I would just have to applaud from behind.
“..But surely, a guy like me wouldn’t be liked.”
I recalled the time I was ensnared in Servi’s dreamy spell. The moment I touched my face, I immediately realized it was a dream. After ruminating on it several times, I didn’t think someone would appreciate such a sight.
Suddenly, an old memory flitted through my mind—the encouraging words a white-haired woman had spoken to me.
[They are just the bad ones. Don’t be intimidated, Knight..!]
But that was in a game, and this was the past. There’s likely no connection between me and the Saintess now.
“Actual reality isn’t that easy, Saintess.”
There were many characters who spoke kindly to the player besides her, and I shouldn’t become too attached to them. Even if I pursue the Saintess route, I should abandon the thought that romance is definitely possible.
I’m simply satisfied with protecting the Saintess from the sidelines.
Those are mere artificial terms created by people. Such things may not actually exist anywhere.
I sighed deeply. I need to see a happy ending this time.
I never want to see her in sorrow again.
“..Head Ake.”
I opened the page marked ‘Demon King of All Knowledge.’
The explanation was that a deity from another world had summoned a Hero. A madman obsessed with the number of lives written in the ledger of life and death.
The reason I had viewed the situation a bit more positively yesterday during the dungeon exploration than that of the Demon King of Truth was…
[He’s the Demon King who saved our Saintess.]
At the conclusion of [Night Heart], he directly mentioned to the player that the Nameless Saintess didn’t need to be touched, so he left her alive.
After that, she would forcibly depart before seeing the ending and survived until the last moments, appearing later in the sequel.
Thus, if it aligns with his plan, he minimizes unnecessary killings. But if the calculations go wrong…
‘He’ll kill mercilessly or strike with his powers.’
Dennis’s case is like that. Although he avoided killing by the Demon King’s creed, he still cast a curse on his lover.
‘..I’m still too weak.’
I gripped my hands tightly. Fortunately, the events of yesterday involved a deity in the know and seemed to align fortuitously with my nature.
But what if it had been a ranged ability designed to counter me perfectly? I wouldn’t have been able to save Schartines nor protect Nex.
Is it the right time to catch the Demon King?
Fatigue surged over me. I have no means to block his powers. Knowing the location of the dungeon was fortunate, but he could very well not even be there.
Should I grow stronger while maintaining the Love Line at the academy? I must not fail the Grand Route.
Something feels like it’s slipping through my fingers…
The future looks bleak. I don’t have the connections to acquire a weapon yet. At the very least, if I had a Holy Sword, it could have been different.
“There isn’t a proper method.”
For now, I can’t reach the Demon King. Just as it often happens in the original and the sequels, they cheat using powers.
..Am I left with no choice?
“Crown Prince Route.”
No matter how I think, I have to take it.
Is there a way for the current me to protect her when she meets the Demon King, given that she isn’t a combat specialist?
Although I knew she could use Divine Power, the character was designed to the extent of not being able to catch even a passing insect.
‘Schartines or Beatrice are normal in comparison.’
The community often labeled her as ‘inept’ or ‘a healer used only for a brief period in the early game’.
In fact, most healers in games also engage in combat. There were priests wielding maces like berserkers and monks who could tear through the heavens and crush the earth with their bare hands.
Moreover, it isn’t so rare to see wolf beastmen among the Empire’s characters. It isn’t uncommon for them to have dog or cat ears either.
‘Just looking at the Imperial Guard, there are wolf beastmen with ears and tails.’
I just liked that character and ended up taking her all the way to the end of the game. I could just control the flow, overpower them with stats, and directly defeat the Demon King.
And after combat, it was nice when she’d occasionally share stories while resting.
Her slightly high-pitched voice, transparent and clear personality. Texts that mentioned she smelled like roses.
[You’ve helped me again today, Knight.. Still, would you please not go elsewhere for healing other than me?]
Even now, it lingers in my mind, making my heart race unconsciously.
“…”
I started to grow concerned for her well-being once more. What on earth was she doing and where?
My throat went dry. Thus, I quickly began searching the notebook for the most dangerous obstacle.
“..Magic Hat Masquerade.”
I reminded myself that the mad magician was the most dangerous of all.
He wore a mask and deceived others; in the end, in [Black Heart], he even took down our Saintess.
After all, it was this guy that I possessed in the first place.
Now that the activities of the Hero Church had begun, he would surely start moving as well.
I speculated that the protagonist of [Grand Hertz Academy] was Rufus Grancia. In the end, we’d likely have to join hands and fight together.
For the sake of the Nameless Saintess, I can’t afford to restrict my means and methods.
If I could render the Demon King of Truth incapable of fighting in advance with the Crown Prince, perhaps I could avoid a bad ending.
Even if I were stubborn, she wouldn’t know who I was. Just staying idle like this could lead her to fall into the hands of the Demon King.
It should be fine as long as I treat Rufus as merely an ally without disrupting the conditions for the Saintess route.
Once my thoughts became clearer, a task arose in my mind.
“..For now, I’ll go meet Senior Nex.”
The spirit that has grown into a Holy Relic. It would truly be a great help now. Even if the Demon King were to raid the academy, he wouldn’t be able to breach the Phoenix’s cradle.
“I should probably buy a Holy Water infusion too.”
Moreover, I needed to purchase a new sword. This is the academy after all. I took a step forward.
*
In a space illuminated by a chandelier over a round table, five figures sat.
Delicious-looking foods were laid out, making it seem like a meal was being shared.
“..Is everything really ready? Head?”
“Yeah, with this, Nex should have also learned ‘Cradle of the Phoenix.’ There shouldn’t be any errors in my calculations.”
“You went this far just to reduce the number of deaths? You’re really ruthless… We should just do it all at once…!!”
“No. We need to follow the route with the highest probability.”
A woman dressed like a magician with a fork in hand and a sharply dressed gentleman wearing monocles glanced between his book and the food. Beside them,
“I think this plan is really good. Don’t you agree, Brother Finn?”
“Absolutely. Intinium.”
Twins that looked alike laughed while eating. Blood dripped from the steak they cut with their knives.
“Is the all-knowing Hero really doing just kidnapping? It’s laughable. It’s like kids playing house.”
The man with antlers and long black hair sneered at the gentleman with the monocle. He seemed displeased, then opened his mouth.
“Black Cloud, your words are harsh. This is the best course of action. And stop with that title.”
“Our all-knowing hero is suggesting this. You can’t be wrong, can you? Hehe!”
The white-haired woman tilted her magician’s hat, laughing as she spoke. Like she was urging him on, she gave a firm thump on the back of the man referred to as Head.
“..You should really keep your mouth shut.”
“Why? We used to be close when we were heroes~ Don’t make me sad…”
“I’ve long since discarded the name Hero.”
“Yes, understood. Demon King-sama!”
The magician puffed up her cheeks like she was sulking. Watching her, the twin-like couple chuckled, while the old man named Black Cloud twisted his face in displeasure.
“By the way, even if he’s all-knowing, was there any particular reason to use Servi? There are plenty of other Apostles and options.”
“This allows us to attack the weaknesses in reverse… Um?”
The Head’s hand, flipping through the pages, stopped.
Something seemed to have gone wrong. The gentleman with the monocle began flipping through his book multiple times, sweating cold as he checked for any mistakes.
“Huh? Why is this happening, Head..?”
“This can’t be. It should have been Nex’s turn to become the traitor this time….”
The Head’s hands trembled. At this, the attention of the other Demon Kings turned to the gentleman.
“Ha, there it is. Just as expected..”
“Are you alright, Ake..?”
Observing this, the magician’s eyes turned into crescents, her long white hair flowing as her golden eyes sparkled.
“..This looks like it will be fun!”
Seeing a name written in the ledger of life and death, the Demon King of Truth laughed.
