While Ruina was spending several sleepless days blaming herself for betraying her honor…
Fernan's mind was once again replaying visions of the future.
["People are acting strange!"
— It's magic! They're infected with magic!
"Are you saying the students made contracts with demons?"
— No, that's not it. If they had, there's no way I wouldn't know.]
As soon as the prophecy finished revealing its current message, another vision of the future followed—just like always.
[— It's Andromalius! These lunatics are summoning a demon right in the middle of the academy!
"We have to stop them…!"
This wasn't just some mutant or monster—this was a real demon, and its presence was incomparably overwhelming.
The sheer pressure from its mere existence, the dense, oppressive magical energy—it made Aint feel fear.
"Huff, huff, huff…!"
His heart pounded, and his breath grew ragged.
— Are you alright?
Even so, Aint slapped both of his cheeks and managed to steady himself.
"I have to be. I came all this way to stop that."
He had no certainty that he could do it. But even without that confidence, the sense of duty remained.
It wasn't some cheap sense of justice or superiority.
If they didn't stop that thing, everyone would die. The continent would fall. His future would vanish.
It was a primal obsession with survival.]
Even inner conflicts worthy of a hero were there.
[— That's a branch of the World Tree! It's the most powerful magical source in the summoning circle!
— Damn those academy bastards. When the hell did they bring that in? No—how could they fail to secure something so important?]
["Senpai! What are you doing…!"
"Aint Armian. You said it once."
You asked me to become your knight.
And I refused.
"It was out of pride back then, but not anymore. I've come to know you—and your cause."
So now, this is my destiny.]
[Ruina charged straight at the demon Andromalius.
A brilliant blue aura blazed from her blade.
"No…!"]
Some futures Fernan had already foreseen.
["…Senpai, senpai!"
Aint shed tears of blood as he watched Ruina slowly collapse.
And then, the aura he thought had completely dried up began to surge again.
Inspired by Aint's rage, it welled up endlessly, like a spring that would never run dry.
— Aint, it's dangerous!
It was the power of light sealed within the sword. It far exceeded what the human body could endure—but that no longer mattered.]
There was also a future he'd never seen before, but one that shone with clear hope.
"This really is just the beginning."
Would he truly have to face a demon?
Even Fernan couldn't help but feel tense.
And there was a lingering question.
"Right. Aria Fridien is guarding the branch of the World Tree."
Fernan sat up in bed, clutching his head. His clothes and bedding were soaked, as though he'd bathed in sweat.
"But why was the academy caught off guard so easily, as if they knew nothing?"
Aria Fridien was supposed to be a future comrade of Aint. That left only two possibilities:
She was a mutant who had disguised herself as an ally to get close, or she was overpowered and had the World Tree's branch taken from her.
Considering that Aint had a way to detect mutants, the latter was far more likely.
That's why Fernan deliberately chose not to speak about that part—because it was an event that needed to happen. And because Aint had to grow from it.
He'd assigned Berian to watch over things just in case the worst happened—but even then, he never believed that alone would be enough to stop the mutants completely.
"Milord, are you awake?"
Knock knock. Hyde opened the door and stepped in.
"Are you unwell? You're sweating…"
"I just didn't sleep well."
"It seems like more than that…"
"It's fine. What is it?"
"A letter has arrived from Ruina Berchef."
A reply, then. Fernan unfolded the letter, marked with the Berchef family seal.
[I'm sorry. I failed to keep the promise I made to guard our secret.
I have no excuse, even if I had ten mouths to speak with.]
The unpleasant opening made Fernan's brow twitch.
[I had no choice but to tell my father everything—what happened at the academy, about the monsters and the mutants.]
[I will bear the consequences.]
She told him everything?
What if something went wrong and the future was altered? What if Aint didn't grow as the prophecy intended?
A knight, breaking a vow made on her own honor?
'No—calm down.'
Ruina was an upright knight. If she broke a promise made with her honor on the line, there must have been a compelling reason.
Fernan forced himself to calmly continue reading.
[…Do you remember why our family came under threat?
When our territory was ravaged by an unprecedented invasion?
I didn't know at the time, but my father has been investigating it.]
[…They were monsters.]
…What?
Crack. Fernan's grip on the letter tightened.
[North of our territory—far beyond Berchef's domain—there are signs that monsters have made a nest.
My father believes the monsters were pushed out by something far worse.
I believe the same.]
"…If that's true…"
On the night he was struck by lightning and learned of the prophecy, two things had burned themselves into Fernan's memory…
The Fall of Fernan.
And the legions of monsters advancing en masse from the north.
"So it really starts from the north of Berchef…?"
Fernan was overcome with elation. Knowing the cause of a problem was already half the battle.
And the location was favorable.
If the Berchefs—who'd always made their livelihood by fighting monsters—properly prepared for defense?
'Maybe it'll be easier to stop the monster advance than I thought.'
Just learning that was already a huge success—enough to let Ruina's broken promise slide.
'No, I can't do that.'
He could understand her reasoning, but since she said she'd bear the consequences herself…
What should he take from her?
"What kind of letter makes your frown turn into a smile?"
"It's about the mutants. And the news isn't entirely bad."
Fernan rose from the bed.
"I need a wash first. Bring me clean clothes."
"Yes, sir."
"And get ready. I'm curious to see how things are going."
He had accomplished everything he needed to upon returning to his family.
Now, the time to return to the academy was near—and with it, the decisive battle.
In the grand scheme of things, it was only the beginning. But still, it was his first time facing a demon.
When something is lost, something else is gained.
Barus had been gravely injured due to an unexpected variable. And an unexpected person had learned about the mutants. But like the unexpected information gained from Ruina—
"…I'm sorry."
Though his trust in Ruina had been shaken, he now had her guilt and regret instead.
While unpacking in the Lavidus Hall after returning to the academy, a guest came to visit.
Ruina Berchef bowed her head in apology.
"No matter the reason, failing to keep a promise was my mistake."
"At least you understand that much."
Honestly, Fernan couldn't say for sure that he'd have kept the secret if he were in her position. He had even gone to his own father first.
But that was that—and this was this. There was no reason not to take advantage of a weakness someone willingly handed over.
Especially if that person was a future Royal Knight.
"I won't blame you for now. But who knows what I'll ask of you in the future?"
"If it's within my power, I will accept anything."
"Good."
With that, Fernan wrapped up the matter and shifted the topic.
"Then, what are Lord Berchef's plans?"
"For now, since only small numbers of monsters have been found, he plans to continue investigating to confirm things more clearly."
He probably wanted to gather enough signs and evidence before making a move.
Once the demon was summoned, it wouldn't stay secret for long. As long as the issue exploded after that, it didn't matter.
"I see. There may be a battle soon."
"The one you mentioned in your letter?"
"Yes."
No—that was a lie. It wasn't mutants. It was a demon.
"This is a different kind of threat. It won't be easy, so it's best to prepare yourself mentally."
He didn't bother correcting her. 'Mutant' and 'demon' were only one syllable apart, but the weight behind each was entirely different.
If Ruina knew it was a demon, she'd try to call for help—perhaps from the academy, or her family.
And that was natural. Which is why it had to be kept secret until the end.
"Yes."
Ruina nodded, her fighting spirit renewed.
'Honestly, I'm a little uneasy—but we can stop it.'
Even if it was a demon, the prophecy said Aint was capable of defeating it. Most likely because it was a rushed summoning.
For the sake of the future, it had to be dealt with—by Aint, and by Aint's own hand.
'Not that there aren't a few strange things.'
The mutants were being as careful as possible because they weren't fully prepared yet. That's why the summoned Andromalius was defeated by an Aint who hadn't yet fully matured.
But why did they, after moving so cautiously, suddenly take such a reckless action and summon an incomplete demon?
'Because Aint grew faster than they expected, and it made them anxious.'
At least, that's probably how it went in the original timeline. There had been several failed attempts to kill Aint even back then.
'But nothing's changed.'
Andromalius will be summoned. Aint will kill it.
He will grow into a hero, and eventually, he will exterminate the demons completely.
That is the future to come.
Berian stared blankly up at the sky.
'What was I trying to do again?'
Lately, his mind kept going blank for no reason.
'Am I getting forgetful with age?'
He'd never heard of a twenty-year-old getting early-onset memory loss.
"Ah."
His eyes landed on a wall clock. 2:10. He suddenly remembered he had a seasonal class at 3:00.
"That's right. I was heading to class… or was I? Still 50 minutes left…"
His gaze drifted forward. There he saw Aria, staring dazedly at her wine glass with the same blank expression.
"…Why are you here?"
"I don't know. Why am I here?"
Berian and Aria stared at each other in silence.
"Your eyes look like rotting fish."
"…Huh?"
"Fernan-senpai? What brings you here?"
The elf and the human tilted their heads in confusion, as if unable to comprehend the situation.
"What the hell are the two of you doing, after I summoned you here? Do you two have the memory of a goldfish or something?"
Fernan reached out and picked up the two notes lying on the table.
[To the tearoom.]
They were the notes he had sent to both of them.
"Oh, now that you mention it, I was coming here to meet you…"
"Yeah, me too…"
The elf and the human frowned at each other.
"…Don't tell me…"
And Fernan realized just how serious the situation was.
A few weeks before Fernan and Ruina returned to the academy.
Berian Kalburden was leisurely sipping from a glass of alcohol.
He was one of the few students who had stayed behind at the academy during the break.
'There's no point in going home before I prove myself and make up for my failures.'
Having lost a duel he absolutely couldn't lose, the only thing left for a defeated man like him was exile.
Ultimately, it was a form of escape—but he didn't have a choice.
"So you didn't go back?"
"Yeah."
Berian took a sip of beer.
Thankfully, he had a good excuse: the seasonal semester held at the academy during breaks.
He wrote home saying he'd push himself harder, using his defeat as motivation—and stayed.
"Sounds like a childish excuse."
"…And what about you? Why are you still here?"
"Dunno."
The red-haired elf, Aria, propped her chin on her hand and nibbled on a cracker topped with prosciutto and cheese. The bitter and salty flavors were surprisingly good.
"Just because?"
Her outward reason was her familiarity with the newly appointed professor of Spirit Studies. Her real reason was the protection of the branch of the World Tree.
"Anyway, I wanted to get closer to Aint, but somehow, out of all the first-years, you're the one I ended up talking to first."
It wasn't really coincidence.
Hardly anyone stayed behind during break. The few who did were bound to interact more.
'The Kalburden family's not bad.'
Not quite a prince-elector house, but still a wealthy family hot on their heels. They held vast territory and influence, considered a high noble house.
Getting close to him was far more advantageous than not.
"That damned Aint this, Aint that. You too? What do I even lack compared to him?"
"Skill."
"…I lost, so I'll admit that."
Berian grudgingly nodded, brow twitching.
"And lineage."
"No way! The Kalburden family's leagues better than that wrecked Armian house!"
"But you're not a prince-elector."
"Damn those prince-electors…!"
There was a certain weight that came with the title.
Not just honorary—but real authority. Between prince-electors and ordinary nobles stood an unbridgeable wall.
Even though the Armian house had collapsed in power, they were still revered in the hearts of the people. That was why Schwaben still hadn't changed the empire's name, some said.
"But for someone who hates Aint so much, you seem to get along with him pretty well?"
"That's…!"
"You're both isolated in the academy anyway. I hope the two of you can overcome that hardship together."
"The important part is that I have the recording sphere of your demonization."
It was because someone holding his leash wanted it that way.
"Aint Armian is already hunting down other mutants. If you stay close to him, one day, you'll come face to face with the one who turned you into that."
But it wasn't just for that reason.
Revenge. Berian wanted to find and destroy the one who corrupted him—who turned him into a mutant.
"…You're imagining things."
Of course, he couldn't say that, so he shook his head and took another swig of beer.
"Sure, I'll pretend I didn't notice."
"You're so kind to just let it go."
Elves really got on his nerves.
'Maybe I should've just returned home, no matter what kind of treatment I got…'
He tried to drown that deep sense of unease in alcohol.
"Oh, could you come to the forest with me later?"
"The forest?"
"Yeah. Remember when you asked why I stayed? Truth is, a branch of the Mother Tree is planted here. I'm guarding it."
"…What?"
Berian blinked in confusion at the sudden revelation.
"Are you even allowed to tell me that?"
"Normally, no. But I think something's wrong with the branch. I might need help just in case."
"Why me?"
"Fernan-senpai said so. He said if it's you, it's safe to trust you."
"…What?"
Aria smiled sweetly and leaned in.
"Mutantization."
The whispered word tickled his ear.
"He said if I said that, you'd help me and keep it secret—no questions asked."
"…That bastard Fernan Pellenberg!!"
"You've got a pretty foul mouth for someone talking about a senpai. I'm telling him everything."
"Do what you want…"
Wait a minute.
"Then… you know about the mutants too?"
"I've fought monsters so much I'm sick of them. I'm a battle-hardened veteran."
"…The hell are you saying?"
What else?
"I mean I might need your help."
Aria shrugged.
"You think I'm some pushover who'll help just because you asked?"
"So you're not going to help?"
"Damn it."
Berian cursed under his breath.
He was so frustrated by his own helpless position that he felt like crying.
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