Since demons go around proclaiming themselves as the true masters of magic, the Dragon God Cult can never coexist with them.
A religion that has its very existence denied cannot survive.
Because of this, the Dragon God Cult's hatred toward demons was, in some ways, on par with that of the Inquisitors.
But even so, no one expected them to suddenly hurl magic out of nowhere.
"…I—I'm innocent!"
As the explosion died down and the smoke cleared—
There stood Jace with his flaming hand extended, Luina blocking it with her sword, and Bella collapsed on the ground, screaming in shock.
"Well done, Luina."
Fernan sighed and grabbed Jace's wrist. Even he hadn't anticipated something like this.
"Stop, Jace."
"Brother, she's one of them. A corrupted one. To think a corrupted one who made a pact with a demon has been attending the Imperial Academy right under our noses… I never imagined I'd live to see such a thing. The only good corrupted one is a dead one. I'll make Senior Bella Hoenne into a good corrupted one."
"I told you to stop."
Fernan growled in a low voice.
"Even if you're my brother, when it comes to demons…"
"I'm the one who knew that first and still asked you for the artifact."
"…That's true, but still…"
"I assure you, Bella Hoenne has neither met a demon nor made a pact with one."
According to the Book of Prophecy, Bella was nothing more than a victim.
And the Book of Prophecy, at least so far, had never lied to Fernan.
"But there was demonic energy present."
"Demonic energy doesn't always mean a contract with a demon. It can also be due to infection. You know that, don't you?"
"So what you're saying is… someone within the Academy is infecting students?"
Jace's eyebrows twitched. Though Fernan had phrased it as "someone," Jace knew that someone could only be a demon worshipper.
"Then isn't that an even bigger problem? We should immediately inform the Cult and the Empire… But you think if we do, the culprits will hide and we won't be able to catch them, don't you?"
"Exactly. I've already tried every possible way to find the one spreading demonic energy."
He had dissected Bella and Berian's daily lives, and searched possible sites of demonic energy through Hyde, but came up empty-handed.
"That's why I came to you."
"To borrow the Dragon God Cult's strength?"
"They're the one group I can be fairly sure has no ties to demon worshippers."
Even if demon worshippers were hiding throughout the continent, the Empire, and the Academy, the place most likely to hold out until the end was the Dragon God Cult.
Because their hatred for demons ran deep in their roots.
Of course, someone might exploit that blind spot to infiltrate—but by that logic, there's no one in this world who can be trusted.
"I already believe the corrupted are hiding throughout the Academy."
It was certain. Otherwise, there was no way to explain the chaos that had occurred during Andromalius's descent.
'There were at least hundreds who went berserk after infection.'
No one knew exactly when Andromalius had descended.
But it seemed impossible for just a few individuals to infect so many without being noticed.
"Their aim is probably to use the infected to collapse the Academy from within."
"And why would they do that?"
"Because the Academy holds the future of the Empire—and the continent. If this place is trampled, then the future disappears."
Jace nodded in understanding.
"In that case, shouldn't we cut it off in advance even more urgently? Even if they hide deeper, isn't it better than risking the future of the continent?"
It was a reasonable argument. Even if the corrupted ones dug deeper into hiding, it was better than letting the continent's future be destroyed.
But Fernan had seen the future. A future where the demons eventually descended en masse and the entire continent was engulfed in catastrophe.
"But wouldn't it be best to rip out their roots with minimal damage?"
Letting the corrupted escape would only lead to a greater disaster.
Even if the seedlings were slightly damaged, uprooting them was how you kept the great tree from falling.
"Do you have a way to do that?"
"I've got a plan in mind."
After hearing the full explanation, Jace nodded.
"In that case, wouldn't it be better to confess this to the Cult and get their help?"
"I never said not to tell anyone. Just don't make it public. Only pass it on to a few people you can trust, and keep it as confidential as possible."
"Understood."
Heh heh—Jace let out a sly smile.
"A plan to strike the corrupted from behind… That's just like you, Brother. I'll gladly follow your lead."
"Before that—do you happen to have any magic or artifact that can erase demonic energy?"
"Of course. Every mage of the Cult learns the spell 'Holy Light,' which burns away demonic energy."
It was a duty of the Cult, incompatible with demons.
"Perfect. Use it to erase the demonic energy from that girl's body."
"Ah, of course. Miss Bella, would you please extend your hand?"
"…You're not going to kill me, right?"
"Of course not. The Cult only punishes demons and the corrupted, not harmless victims."
The Saint smiled gently. Bella, who had been through far too much in a short span, reluctantly extended her hand.
"Ah, by the way, this is my first time casting this spell on a person, so I'm not quite sure how it'll go. Will it work, I wonder… Is it okay to burn the insides of a living person?"
"…What?"
Bella barely had time to react.
──!
A searing heat and pain surged up from deep inside her.
"KYAAAAAAAH!"
"Hmm. Seems it hurts quite a lot."
"This room is perfectly soundproof, so there's no need to worry."
It wasn't just soundproof—this special chamber absorbed all shock and vibrations as well.
"Punishing evil always comes with pain. Think of it as catharsis. Please, scream your heart out as you curse the demon that did this to you."
…
Luina could only stare blankly as her friend foamed at the mouth and collapsed.
"Phew… perhaps it's because it was my first time using the spell on a person—it was quite exhausting. I'll be heading out first. I have my own investigations to carry out."
"All right."
Once the purification was finished, Jace left the room—leaving Bella collapsed on the table, still unconscious.
"…Is she going to be okay?"
"Probably."
Fernan brought his fingers to her nose—she was still breathing. Her complexion was pale, but not in a way that suggested she was on the verge of death.
"Take her to the Blessing Hall."
"Understood."
"Put some red powder on her face and make it look like she's drunk."
"Is that really necessary? If she returns to the dorm heavily drunk in broad daylight, her reputation…"
"No one would ever suspect corrupted ones are hiding in the Academy. It doesn't hurt to be cautious."
Oh, and she should reek of alcohol too. Fernan paused as he reached for an expensive bottle of wine from the storage cabinet in the corner of the chamber.
"…No point using the good stuff if we're just going to pour it on her."
"How expensive is that?"
"20 gold."
"I'm sure the taverns sell cheap wine."
Fernan called for someone to bring a bottle of the cheapest wine available. Luina began preparing to carry Bella.
"Is there a spare robe? Even so, we should cover her face as much as possible."
"There is."
A clerk brought over a robe, and Luina draped it over Bella.
"So, when did you come up with this plan?"
"From the moment I found traces of the corrupted through Berian. There's no way they'd only make one move."
"Don't forget our agreement."
"Agreement?"
"You said whenever we deal with demons, I'd be involved."
Luina's gaze turned cold.
"I won't forgive the corrupted scum who endangered Bella."
"I know."
Shortly after, Luina splashed the cheap wine the clerk had brought all over Bella's body, then carried her out on her back and disappeared.
"…Using Jace and the Cult's power, we'll purge the demonic energy from all those infected. As discreetly as possible."
That way, they could minimize the chaos the corrupted were hoping to cause.
"The ideal would be to stop the demon's descent altogether…"
Unless the Book of Prophecy revealed more, he had no idea how to do that yet.
"For now, I need to focus on what's next."
The yacht club. That's where the corrupted would begin their full-scale activities.
On a yacht owned by the Golden Turtle Merchant Group—loaned and operated by Fernan—he would disguise himself as one of their employees and assassinate Aint.
"In the end, stopping the demons requires Aint's cooperation."
But bringing up demons out of nowhere would be madness. At best,Aint would think he was crazy. At worst, it would raise her suspicion.
"Every operation needs groundwork first."
The demons wanted to kill Aint in this scheme—or at the very least, isolate her from the other students. But the opposite would happen.
Aint would survive, and Fernan would openly become her supporter.
"While investigating suspicious infiltrators in the Merchant Group, I discovered someone had slipped in as yacht staff. But I had no idea they were corrupted ones."
That's how Fernan and Aint would end up facing the corrupted together.
In short, though the intricate details made things far more complicated, this was the summary:
Knowing the future made it relatively easy to set the board.
Fernan's gaze grew cold.
—Why is my body trembling all of a sudden?
'No, I'm just feeling a sudden chill.'
Aint shook off the creeping cold and refocused on the lecture.
"So, this Cyclops creature only has one eye, but…"
The subject was "Study of Magical Creatures and Monsters"—a mandatory 5-credit core class.
—How's your body feeling?
'Not bad.'
Perhaps because of her desperate struggle for survival against the sea dragon, she'd managed to absorb nearly half of the lingering mana from the Saintbird's heart—a residue she hadn't been able to fully assimilate even with Sir Gardner's help.
—A blessing in disguise. You got adamant and replenished your mana reserves.
'And gained a reliable sponsor too.'
—Sponsor, or more accurately, a business deal.
—Just don't let your guard down. Adamant is valuable, so those nouveau riche types will do everything they can to lowball you.
Aint was well aware of that. While she had approached them on bended knee, expecting generosity would be a mistake.
—The best strategy is to make those moneybags realize how serious the situation really is. They're not total fools. If they feel threatened, they'll loosen their purse strings.
'Then the best move would be to have Senior Fernan witness a demon himself. But… do demons really exist?'
Fernan, even after acquiring Gardner—and throughout his entire life—had never once seen a demon or their corrupted followers.
—I wish they didn't, but they're definitely operating in secret. The fact that I awakened is proof enough.
Gardner spoke with certainty.
—Back to the point, it's not a bad idea. If demons are involved, even the Pellenbergs will take things seriously.
—…Though not all of them, of course.
'What do you mean by that?'
—You know how people say a ruthless merchant could sell goods even to a demon? That saying originated from the Pellenbergs. They literally sold to demons.
'…You've got to be kidding me.'
Aint was horrified. She'd known the Pellenberg merchants were ruthless, but to think they had actually sold goods to demons—she had never imagined that.
—Now do you see why I despise the Pellenbergs?
'I understand now.'
As they chatted, the lecture came to an end. Aint was packing up her textbook when someone approached.
"Aint."
"Valosh."
"What are you doing after class?"
"Nothing in particular. Just some training, maybe?"
"Ever diligent as always."
Valosh smiled warmly.
—He's such a strange one. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, but I can't figure out why he's so good to you.
'Honestly, I wonder about that too.'
Valosh Bienderk was undoubtedly a good person. But it would be naïve to accept kindness at face value.
Especially when Aint bore the name Armin and the current emperor carried the name Schvaben.
Why wasn't the heir to House Bienderk concerned about being seen associating with her?
'I mean, Bienderk is practically on par with the royal family, but still…'
Even so, some level of conflict was unavoidable. Why go out of his way to get close to someone like Aint—whose family had lost all its former glory?
She was curious, but asking outright wasn't an option—so she swallowed it for now.
"Then… would you like to go somewhere with me after?"
"Where?"
Valosh pulled out a small envelope. It was an invitation.
"You're not in any clubs, right?"
"I haven't joined one yet."
Clubs were officially encouraged student groups at the academy, typically organized by students with shared interests—whether academic or recreational.
"The yacht club?"
"Yeah. You can only join if an existing member sponsors you. But if you have an invitation, you're allowed to bring one guest."
He explained that the club was mostly made up of high-ranking nobles and merchant heirs.
"I received an invitation to this month's banquet. I was hoping you'd go with me."
"With me?"
"Yeah."
—That's basically a demon's den from your perspective. He wants to take you there? Is this guy insane?
Gardner had a point. Most high-ranking nobles avoided Aint like the plague because of the Schvaben imperial family.
To make things worse, a prince of Schvaben was also a member of the yacht club.
—Still, it might not be a bad idea to go.
—The late emperor left a hidden arrangement by the sea. If you're lucky, your paths might intersect and you could gain something from it.
—That Schvaben bastard will glare at you like a thorn in his eye, but what do you have left to lose anyway?
'Just how many hidden arrangements did the late emperor make?'
—When fighting demons, no amount is ever enough.
Aint nodded at Gardner's words.
"So… you'll come?"
Valosh misinterpreted her nod as an answer, but she didn't bother correcting him.
"Yeah."