Clatter.
The great sage Faust who was bound by the chains of the world walked slowly toward Loki, as if Cattleya’s presence meant nothing to him.
“Death shall be your salvation.”
Tap.
Standing before Loki, Faust quietly placed a hand on his head.
Rustle—!
Then, as if a statue were crumbling, cracks spread through Loki’s body before it collapsed entirely. The great sage, having crushed Loki’s head, reached inside the hollow space and pulled something out.
It was a ring—
A crystallization of a soul bound together by the power of the cycle.
“Red, the symbol of the imperial family… Even though you were doubted for not being born with red hair, your soul at least was unmistakably imperial.”
A ring red like blood.
Faust gazed at it with intense joy, as though it were a precious jewel, until he noticed something unusual.
Loki’s ring was broken in the middle, unable to form a perfect cycle.
“I see… A contract with a demon. Even if the demon is taken away, the mark of the soul’s contract always remains.”
A broken ring. An imperfection that had fallen away from the cycle of reincarnation.
But rather than seeing it as a flaw, Faust saw potential in it.
“Sorry for the noise.”
With that, Faust pocketed the ring and left the underground.
Only after death had passed did Cattleya finally take a breath and mutter,
“Damn… what a shameless bastard…”
***
Early in the morning, Cattleya came to me with a voice full of indignation.
Loki was dead.
“Oh dear, you must be heartbroken.”
“…Are you laughing?”
“Of course not.”
Perhaps she truly was grieving. She was speaking informally to me, unlike her usual self.
Honestly, I’d rather see Loki gone for good than lingering around as an undead.
At least this way, one more unpredictable factor is gone.
The only thing that bothers me is that Faust showed up.
That guy….I can never tell what’s going through his head.
“That shameless bastard! Didn’t even apologize, just did whatever he wanted…!”
Well, one thing’s for sure—
Faust has an extremely shameless personality.
“That son of a bitch!”
And here we have another victim—
Mephistopheles who was scammed into a contract.
Come to think of it, Mephistopheles had been talking more and more lately.
Could it be that his power is finally recovering?
If he escapes the book and starts roaming around like before, he’ll definitely start scheming again, so I should mentally prepare myself in advance.
“Anyway, I’ve got roll call now, so I’m hanging up.”
If I kept listening, it would just turn into endless complaints, so I cut the call.
Things have gotten messy in more ways than one, and I’m tired too.
I had already anticipated that Tillis would try to absorb Loki’s demon.
In fact, I’d planned from the start to use her as a safety net.
That meant the Judge’s awakening had been accelerated, but in the end, without finding the last demon, Tillis will be stuck in place.
The Oracle will probably nag me about it… but I can just let it go in one ear and out the other.
And the most important thing—
“Lobelia will handle it.”
Not my problem.
“Yaaawn…”
I stretched lightly and changed my clothes.
I could sense strange flows of magical power from the machine in the corner and the ceiling, but I was used to it now.
I just hope they stay within their boundaries.
“I’d really like things to stay quiet for a while.”
Lately, there had just been too much to worry about.
From experiencing the cradle with the transfer students and Tillis, to the duel to the death with Loki that followed Robellia’s scandal—
Good grief, all of this had happened within just a month of the second semester starting.
It was enough to make me feel breathless.
“Well, the weather’s nice.”
It was summer, so there was a bit of a muggy feeling, but it was still fine.
The sound of birds chirping.
The sound of cicadas crying.
And then…
“So, you disappear for a week and now you’re asking me to understand?”
“No, Ollie, listen—”
“Forget it! We’re over!”
“O-Ollie!”
The sound of Raven crying, too.
Well, that kind of thing happens in life.
Didn’t I tell him not to leave his girlfriend hanging while working as a mercenary under Cattleya?
He’d been cutting off contact since the very start of the relationship, so this was nothing but his own doing.
If he’d at least shown up with a broken bone or two, maybe she would’ve worried about him, but unfortunately Raven had returned in perfect health, having enjoyed his work-life balance.
While I was watching that comical street performance, the star of the stage spotted me and struck up a conversation.
“Johan, what do I do?”
“What do you mean, what do you do? Don’t ask me.”
“What did you do when Yuna was mad at you?”
“If she’d ever gotten mad, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
I might have been kidnapped somewhere or buried without a trace.
“That sounds about right.”
“See? That’s how she just shows up out of nowhere. You’d better be careful too, Raven. Bad-mouth Yuna somewhere and your head might just roll.”
“Uh, yeah…”
And as always, when I came to my senses, Yuna was right there beside me.
It used to make me jump every time, but now I was used to it.
I was really getting used to a lot of things.
“Oh, right. Yuna, did you make it back safely last time?”
“It’s irritating you’re only asking me now, but since you at least brought it up, I’ll let it slide. I wandered around underground for ages looking for you before I finally came back alone.”
“Oh dear.”
“Johan, could you at least sound a little more sympathetic?”
“Oh, really? How did we end up missing each other like that? That’s a real shame.”
“Well, thanks for at least pretending to care.”
By now, humoring her like this was no trouble at all.
***
The moment I stepped into the classroom.
Sure enough, the Oracle called me over. At this rate, I was starting to wonder if she’d end up shaking me down for money.
“Wait. I know what you’re going to say.”
“Oh? And what exactly do you think I’m going to say?”
“It’s about Tillis recovering another book of the Lemegeton, isn’t it?”
“That’s correct.”
“See? I knew it.”
“What are you smiling about? You’re in trouble right now.”
“Come on, it couldn’t be helped. Was I supposed to just leave Loki alone? Besides, Tillis still has plenty of time before she collects the entire Lemegeton, right?”
“……”
“If I remember correctly, the last demon won’t show up for another two years.”
That’s how it goes in the game scenario.
It’ll take Tillis well past Lobelia’s graduation to retrieve the final demon.
Even without factoring in Loki, the next demon won’t appear for another two years.
In other words, there’s still time to spare.
“Haah… fine. Just remember this. You are not to have any further contact with the Judge.”
“Sure, I’ll do that. I swear.”
“What a casual vow.”
It’s not like I went looking for her on purpose. It just happened. I couldn’t avoid it.
“Forget it.”
“See? Even you think it couldn’t be helped.”
“…Can I hit you just once?”
“And why exactly would I agree to that? Makes no sense to me.”
Thwack!
“Gah!”
A sudden blow to the stomach.
Was this girl a martial artist too? She dressed like a mage, but this kind of crushing strength… what on earth?
“Ah, my apologies. The way you spoke made me think you were confident you could dodge.”
“You little…”
“If you’re unhappy about it, you can hit me back. If you think you can land a blow. For the record, I’m confident I can dodge those flimsy fists of yours with ease.”
“……”
To use brute force to pressure someone… how cowardly can you get?
“Oh dear, that must hurt. Want me to help? All you have to do is call my name… I can offer strength, wisdom, overwhelming vitality, and even the power to stop time! This is your chance!”
Oh no. This won’t do.
It hurts more than I thought. So much that even Mephistopheles’ cheap street-vendor-style temptation was starting to sound appealing.
“I’ll let you off for today.”
The Oracle left with an oddly satisfied look. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen her smile so brightly.
I was still clutching my stomach, trying to swallow the pain, when—
“Could it be that I’ve just witnessed a case of school violence?”
An all-too-familiar old voice came from behind me.
“Headmistress?”
“Oh my, you sound like you’re in a lot of pain. I can hear the pain in your voice.”
“Headmistress, I’ve just been the victim of school violence.”
“Judging by the fact your mouth still works, I’d say you could take a bit more of a beating.”
There’s not a single soul on my side.
How could an educator like Olga Hermod be so willing to oppress me?
“I’m sorry to trouble you while you’re suffering, but I don’t have much time, so I’ll need you to listen to me.”
“I’m listening.”
“Like that?”
“Isn’t that asking a bit much of me?”
“Well… fair enough.”
I’m still lying face-down.
Wow… just what kind of hit did that Oracle bitch land for the pain to still be lingering?
I’d expected she’d be stronger than the average student at the Cradle, but this? I never imagined it would be to this extent.
It’s hard to even pull myself together.
“Ahem, then I’ll get to the point.”
But wait…what exactly brought Olga Hermod here?
Now that I think about it, something felt off.
Why did she come in person?
She could have just sent someone to call me. This was the same woman who had even sent Lobelia to fetch me before.
For Olga Hermod, who’s always buried in work, to come directly to me…
That alone was enough to stir a strange sense of unease.
“An imperial decree.”
The words left her lips, and in an instant, the pain was gone and my mind snapped awake.
What did she just say?
Did she say imperial decree? Not the kind Lobelia throws around jokingly, but an actual imperial decree from the Emperor?
“His Majesty’s order is for you to appear at the imperial palace immediately.”
Only then did I realize why Olga Hermod had come for me herself. If she’d done things the usual way and sent someone to fetch me, it would have wasted precious time. So she came directly.
“Then, are you ready?”
“No. Not at all.”
“That’s unfortunate. But since it’s already too late, I suggest you prepare yourself mentally now.”
And with that, I was swept up in Olga Hermod’s magic and whisked away.
Even a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse must feel better than this.
“Am I going to die?”
“That depends on the situation.”
“Why am I being summoned?”
“That, I don’t know. But if I could offer one piece of advice…”
“I’m listening.”
“Hmm… there’s nothing, actually. The Emperor is unpredictable, so the only thing I can tell you is to never let your guard down for even a moment.”
“……”
It was the first day I’d finally returned to my normal life.
And I was dragged straight to the imperial court.
***
Standing before the grand imperial palace adorned in gold, I thought to myself,
“So I’ve ended up here after all.”
There had always been a strange sense of unease. Every time I got tangled up with Lobelia, I felt as if the imperial court was inching closer to me.
But I never imagined I’d enter it like this.
And not because Lobelia dragged me here….but because the Emperor had summoned me.
“My stomach doesn’t feel so good.”
“Must be the spot you were hit earlier. Endure it.”
“It’s for another reason.”
“That’s only natural, so endure that too.”
I hadn’t even met the Emperor yet, but chills were already running through me, and my body was trembling.
“This is as far as I go.”
“What?”
“From here, you’ll have to go alone. I wasn’t invited to the banquet tonight, so even if I wanted to escort you, I can’t.”
“What the…?”
There was a flicker of pity in Olga Hermod’s eyes as she looked at me.
What is that supposed to mean? Am I really going to die? Why are you looking at me like that?
“May fortune be with you.”
And just like that, I was half-pushed into the banquet hall where the Emperor awaited.
“You’ve arrived.”
“I greet the great sun of the Empire!”
The instant I caught sight of red hair, I dropped into a bow.
I’d been bowing earlier too, so it came naturally.
“A polite one, I see. No need to feel burdened. Raise your head.”
“I am forever grateful for Your Majesty’s grace…”
No need to feel burdened? Really?
Is that really something a man can say after throwing a knife at his own child on their birthday and splitting their head open?
“So, you are Johan Damus?”
Hair the color of fire, as if it might ignite at any moment.
Golden eyes that seemed to pierce straight into my soul.
A monster carrying passion beneath a mask of boredom.
The instant our eyes met, it was like sinking into the depths of the ocean…..I couldn’t breathe.
I gasped for air before answering Abraham’s question.
I had no choice but to.
“Yes, Your Majesty…”
“I see.”
Abraham smiled.
Was that the correct answer? Or was he planning to kill me if I didn’t respond after putting me under that kind of pressure?
“I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
From which bastard, exactly?
Lobelia? Or the Oracle?
Just tell me that much.
***
TN: He really is a victim
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