Chapter 24: Mad Adel Part 1

“Mr. Adel? A package has arrived for you.”

“……”

“Mr. Adel?”

“…Huh? …Oh… you said a package?”

“Yes. I’d appreciate it if you could check the receipt box and take it with you.”

“Thanks.”

Herein Dormitory.

Unlike the maids of other dormitories who are expected not to be noticed by students, the staff at Herein usually recognized the dorm residents by face.

It wasn’t because the dormitory had different rules…

It was simply because Herein was always short-handed, making it impossible to finish all the work during the hours when students were out.

Helping out the gardener at the front entrance, collecting laundry in the hallways, and cleaning windows in the dorm dining hall.

Encountering the students throughout the semester like that made it inevitable to memorize their faces.

“……”

So of course, Adel Bliss who had a room on the third floor was also someone the maids recognized.

“Are you alright? You don’t look very well…”

“…Huh?”

“You seem very tired. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to call.”

“Ah. Yeah. Thanks.”

The sound of footsteps slowly climbing the stairs echoed.

His eyes were sunken and dull. Even the way he climbed the stairs had an odd gloominess to it.

“……”

It must be the academic pressure. Especially for first-years, that burden would feel even heavier.

The first midterms were approaching.

There’s a saying that first-year midterm scores are as important as graduation grades… That’s why so many students looked exhausted during this period.

She didn’t think much of it and returned to cleaning the lobby.

Fallen petals kept blowing in through the front door. It was a pretty sight in its own right, but as a cleaning maid, tidying them up was a must. She had to sweep them quickly.

It’s not really the season for petals to fall yet… Strange that only this area is like this.

***

[Demon’s Seed]

– 5 days until blooming.

After going out the day before, Adel returned Sasha’s student ID.

She had stiffened up when he gave it back, but when he said he found it in the courtyard, she seemed to believe him.

– …Where did you find this?

– Ah. Picked it up in the courtyard. The name looked familiar.

– Is that… so?

She seemed to look at me with some kind of uneasy expression, but I couldn’t tell her the truth.

Still, I did feel sorry. I should buy her something later.

That night.

I coughed up blood again. It felt like my vision was flipping into some strange color.

“…Hoo.”

– 4 days until blooming.

I finally began putting into action the methods for returning from the demon’s form to a human one. It was time to start making the one and only countermeasure I could prepare in advance: a magic potion.

“…Failed. I guess it was too much to expect success on the first try.”

Even with all my knowledge from the game, it was difficult to mix the ingredients in the exact quantities at the precise moments required.

It took roughly ten hours just to create a single potion.

◆ Magic Potion Recipe Acquired (New): Pasa’s Recovery Elixir – Unique

“…Done.”

By canceling my sparring with Aaron and focusing solely on the task, I was able to complete it.

Starting in the morning and finally achieving a result only after night had fallen.

“…I guess that means I’ve passed the first hurdle.”

A sense of relief washed over me. Relief that at least I could return to being human.

But this wasn’t the end. There were still countless preparations left to make.

Before going to bed, I spat up blood again.

No matter how often it happened, this was something I could never get used to.

The idea that some part of my body was changing into something not human….that was horrifying.

– 3 days until blooming.

My condition was bad from the moment I woke up. When I opened my eyes, my pillow was soaked with blood.

“…Clean.”

After the last incident, I had washed the pillow myself because even the Clean spell didn’t feel reassuring. But now that it was stained again… I had no choice but to wash it once more.

Annoying.

I started setting up various mechanisms in the usual gym. The first priority was installing magic catalysts. If the “Pasa’s Recovery Elixir” were to break during the fight and become unusable, I needed a backup plan.

On the way, I ran into Professor Quinoron. He was heading somewhere with an anxious expression and passed by me without acknowledging me.

…Has it started?

For “Mad Adel”, the demon worshippers might have begun making their move within the academy.

Most likely, yes. My body’s condition was so bad that even my mana sense felt dull.

– 2 days until blooming.

The black flames on my chest had grown to cover almost an entire side.

The branching flames resembled the tattoos I’d seen back in modern times.

Except the shape was quite vicious. Something criminals might have tattooed on themselves.

“…Hard to look cool when I’ve got no muscles.”

Could the shape transformation trait also create muscles? I think it could change height and body structure… I wondered about it for a moment, but in the end, decided that if this all ended well, I should simply work out more.

That day too all the preparations took forever. At this point, I could barely remember the last time I had actually attended class.

Not bad.

The black coat I bought from Black Alley. I fastened the prepared items to it.

I secured the two magic prosthetic arms to the inner sides of the coat so they could be equipped at any time, and placed the curse doll for [Simultaneous Blindness Curse] in the chest pocket.

The ring for [Forced Binding Curse] was already on my finger.

As for the miscellaneous magic tools, I decided to transfer those on the day of the operation.

Back at the dormitory, my condition had worsened further. A strange heat pulsed through my entire body in sync with my heartbeat.

“Laundry pickup, Mr. Adel. Are you inside?”

“…I’m fine today.”

“Is that so? Understood. Oh, also…please accept a parcel that arrived for you.”

“…Just leave it at the door.”

“Very well, I’ll leave it there.”

While I was resting for a moment, I heard those voices from beyond the door.

I almost opened it without thinking but barely managed to stop myself. If anyone assumed I was sick, it could cause a commotion. I had to be careful.

A parcel…? But I’m not expecting anything.

It must have been sent by someone Adel knew. Someone I don’t know.

I had no time to check it. Everything else could wait until after I was done.

I moved the package left at the door into a corner of the room.

Then, suddenly, I caught a glimpse of myself in the cracked mirror left over from the previous incident.

[Adel Bliss] ↔ [Mad□ A□del]

It was changing.

Even the status window was alternating between the two names.

“…Heh, heh heh… What a joke.”

I will survive… no matter what.

—One day left…

– until blooming

My vision kept distorting and flipping strangely.

◆Warning! A full sprout is forming from the [Demon’s Seed]!

“……”

Certain it wasn’t just in my head, I checked my eyes with a shard of the broken mirror and saw it.

“…It’s begun.”

The whites of my eyes were turning black, starting from the edges.

A sign of “demonization”.

I picked up a pen and began writing a letter.

The recipient: Camilla Bliss.

“Camilla.”

[To my dear Camilla.]

The very same letter that, in the original story, Camilla had received from her perspective.

Adel’s letter.

“I’m sorry. But I have no choice either.”

[I have something to tell you. Something important that I’ve never been able to say until now.]

“If you find out that I’m a demon worshipper, you’ll try to kill me anyway. The character named Camilla has the kind of resolve that doesn’t hesitate to make those decisions.”

[After class today at 8 p.m., could you come to the gym next to the Department of Magic? Please.]

[It’s something I don’t want anyone else to know. I’d like you to come alone, Camilla.]

“…So, this is the only way.”

[The gym next to the Magic Department. 8 p.m.]

I added one more sentence to the end of the letter.

A line that wasn’t in the original “Adel’s Letter.”

[…Please. Big sister.]

Now.

With this, all preparations were complete.

“……”

The day of the final showdown begins.

***

“Camilla? Camilla.”

“……”

“…Camilla!!”

“…Did you call me?”

“What’s wrong? You’ve been totally out of it.”

“It’s nothing.”

She tucked the letter inside her coat.

“Didn’t you hear? Weird things have been happening at the academy lately. Even the professors can’t figure out what’s causing them.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yesterday, the entire Knight Department building apparently shut down. All the training logs got wiped too….everyone has to redo their evaluations. Maybe it’s some kind of tech malfunction.”

“Things like that happen sometimes.”

“Really? With midterms coming up, everything’s just weird. At this rate, they should just cancel school.”

“……”

“…Camilla? Seriously, what’s with you? You’re acting really strange.”

It was then that the magic lights suddenly started to flicker.

Flick—

Flick—…

Pop!

“Whoa!! See? It’s doing it again! I swear, how are we supposed to study like this~.”

Suddenly, darkness fell over the dormitory lounge.

And after some time had passed—

– This is a broadcast from the Robine Control Office. All students, please remain in your dormitories!! Anyone still outside, return immediately!

The loudspeaker announcement echoed through the entire dorm.

– This is a repeat announcement!! All students, remain in your dormitories……!! What? Ah, understood!! Correction!! Knight Department, 3rd-year Class A and Class B. Please proceed to the Knight Hall immediately! All other students, remain in place!

“Whoa. What the heck? Something’s definitely going on.”

“…….”

Right after the announcement, multiple footsteps echoed through the hallway.

The whole dorm shook from the vibrations.

“Wow. The upperclassmen are heading out. That’s so cool!!”

“…Awen.”

“Huh?”

Amid the chaos—

Camilla glanced at the clock and then stood up from her seat.

“If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I’ve stepped out for a bit.”

“…What?”

“…There’s something I have to take care of. Could I ask you to cover for me?”

“Camilla actually breaking the rules…? I-I mean, okay. Got it.”

Outside.

It was raining.

The first rainfall of the spring. It came down hard, as if to erase the string of clear days that had seemed like a lie.

“……”

Camilla didn’t care about getting wet and carefully began to move forward.

“This is a repeat announcement──… All students, remain in your dormitories─… Please stay where you are─….”

Behind her—

The booming dorm announcement faded. It was swallowed by the distant sound of falling rain.