Early in the morning, fernan went through reports with a cup of coffee.
"I thought I knew everything about Young Master, but lately I just can't understand him at all."
Among them was also a report on the progress of the Academy's hunt for the aberrants.
'So many were hiding…'
There were three bases, and from those, twelve aberrants had been captured or killed.
"They are demons, demons! Not anything else—actual demons! While fighting the aberrants, did you never once consider the possibility that a real demon could be summoned?"
Just when had they started nesting inside the Academy? The number was far beyond imagination.
'If this much has been revealed, I can't even begin to guess how many more are hidden.'
fernan did not believe for a moment that these were all the aberrants lurking in the Academy.
"If it weren't for Aint Armian and the others, Young Master would have been dead. No—he was as good as dead."
Judging from what had happened so far, the power and secrecy of the aberrants were beyond belief.
"Why are you acting this way, when you've never been someone driven by justice or righteousness? Please, get a grip on yourself!"
There had simply been too many signs and encounters for it all to end in a single sweep.
'The Moonrise Bookstore? That was the place we checked when Bella Hoenne was infected by magic…'
Back then, he was sure they hadn't found anything suspicious.
He shuddered at the perfection of the aberrants' concealment abilities.
"And from now on, don't ever order me to do anything else. Even if you do, I won't."
The Academy had uncovered it nonetheless.
'As expected of an Archmage.'
To discover in an instant what could not be found no matter how desperately one searched.
Of course, it wasn't solely the Headmaster's ability. There was a clear difference between mobilizing the entire Academy openly and conducting a covert search.
"I am Young Master's bodyguard. Do you know how my heart sank when I heard you fought a demon while I wasn't there?"
Still, it was reassuring, in its way.
"How long are you going to keep this up?"
At last, fernan, who had been ignoring him, responded.
"Even months wouldn't be enough. You simply don't have any sense of crisis."
"I know I was in danger too. But that was just bad luck. Who could possibly expect a demon to be summoned inside the Academy?"
"That's exactly why I ask—why did you leave me behind?"
"From now on, no matter where I go, I'll take you with me. Satisfied?"
"…It's not enough, but I'll accept it for now."
Hyde reluctantly nodded, displeasure in his eyes.
To be honest, fernan felt somewhat wronged.
He was no man of justice like Aint. Above all, he was the sort of small-minded man who valued money and life dearly.
This had simply been a stroke of absurd bad luck. If he had known that a demon would be summoned at that exact moment, he would have taken Hyde without question.
Just as he had when transporting the World Tree branch.
"A letter has arrived from the Lord."
"Give it here."
fernan unfolded the letter.
[*I received the record orb you sent.
It truly was a demon. Andromalius, the seventy-second-ranked demon.
Even beyond the record orb, the majesty of that being was enough to send shivers down my spine.
And seeing Aint Armian and Ruina berchef standing against it, I've begun to understand some of your choices.*]
When fernan had presented evidence of the aberrants, the Duke had wanted to stand against evil alongside him, but that didn't mean he fully understood.
Ruina berchef.
The Duke had overlooked fernan's overreach regarding her only because of the tempting fruit of the mana stone mine. But he still believed fernan had made the wrong choice.
But after seeing the record orb, that was no longer the case.
The words "a talent or individual worth such risk"—which had once sounded like an excuse to get through a tricky situation—now rang truer than ever.
[Sir Amod remarked that you seemed more gifted than he had been at your age. In some ways, your eye for people surpasses even mine.]
After words acknowledging fernan's choice came the matters he had most longed for.
[*As you wish, in any matter concerning demons, you may act first and report later.
If there is just cause, nothing you do will be considered overreach.*]
But the letter was not without harsher notes.
[*However, it seems the record orb was fragmented in parts. According to Lord Duleo, there were no signs of tampering.
Which means you must have recorded it that way from the start.
I can roughly guess what you concealed, so I will not ask.*]
[*But one doubt remains, so I will. As soon as vacation began, you hurried to the estate and threw yourself into making golems—as though chased by something.
fernan Fallenberg, you knew a demon's descent was coming. Did you not?*]
"..."
[*To use my retainers, my craftsmen, my facilities, and not pay the price—how shameless of you.
I look forward to the next vacation. We have much to discuss.*]
fernan swallowed dryly.
…What excuse should he make?
A chill ran down his spine for no reason.
The Academy's second semester was far busier than the first.
That was because, in early October, came the Empire's greatest holiday—the Founding Anniversary.
During the ten-day-long festival, most areas were opened to the public, and countless visitors flocked in.
Events abounded, and of course, the main hosts were the Academy's students.
Since no classes were held during the festival, students could run stalls, or participate in competitions and events.
Among those competitions, two were by far the most famous.
For knight department students, there was the Jousting Tournament.
And for magic department students, the Magic Tournament.
It was no exaggeration to say that most visitors came to the Academy during the festival just to see these two competitions.
Because there were no restrictions by year, it gave a more direct and intuitive measure of what level the Academy's students truly stood at.
In fact, many had made their names known through these tournaments.
Some for fame.
Some for the honor of their family.
Some for advancement.
It was known as a place of opportunity, where anyone, regardless of status, could rise by showing the most straightforward thing of all—strength.
Perhaps that was why winning either the Jousting Tournament or the Magic Tournament was the most coveted glory for every student.
And for Ruina berchef, both a student and a knight, it was no different.
Shweee—!
Her sword danced. She pressed forward, deflecting every slash that lunged to bite at its master.
Clang!
Her opponent's grip was torn open. A sword flew into the air.
"I yield, I yield…!"
The sword halted before her opponent's neck. Bella Hoenne raised both hands in surrender.
"Wow, Ruina, what in the world happened to you over the break? Even the two of us together can't touch you anymore."
"I mean, I am ranked seventeenth in the knight department!"
Aina, who had been defeated even before Bella, protested with a voice full of grievance.
"Nothing special happened."
Something had.
"I did smash down a wall, though."
"That is something special!"
"No wonder…! Even with both of us, we couldn't match her."
Aina agreed with Bella's words.
"At this rate, maybe you could even beat that monster of a senior, Rob."
"That's up to Ruina. Me, I just hope I can at least make it into the top thirty-two this time."
"You won't."
"Bella, do you remember that my ranking is higher than yours?"
As Aina's face twisted in irritation, Bella hastily changed the subject.
"Ah, Ruina. Did you already fill out your application?"
"Yes. I already submitted it."
Ruina nodded.
Her mind drifted back to when she had been filling out the application.
"You plan to enter the Jousting Tournament?"
"Yes."
fernan, carrying two cups of coffee, sat across from her as she filled out the form. She could feel the gazes around them, but by now she had grown used to it—they soon faded.
"So, do you think you can win this time?"
"I'm confident I won't lose to anyone."
"Even Rob Kaelin?"
"Yes."
Ruina gave a heavy nod.
Rob Kaelin was the knight department's current fourth-year top student.
It was an unfortunate truth that talent could not be evenly distributed every year.
Naturally, not every Academy class was of equal caliber, and the current fourth-year was particularly weak compared to others.
Rob Kaelin was the only extraordinary existence propping up an otherwise lacking year.
"Last year, you made it to the round of sixteen."
"I faced Senior Rob there."
"Almon fell in the round of thirty-two."
"Likewise, he faced Senior Rob."
That was the misfortune of the two of them. First-years who had already surpassed their level had run into a monster greater still, and though they were qualified to advance further, they could not.
"Are you confident this time?"
"Of course."
The Ruina of then and the Ruina of now were different.
On the smaller side, she had gained time, insight, and the elixirs she had received from fernan. On the larger side, she had fought aberrants and demons.
Everything she had endured in the past year had driven her level sharply upward.
"But are you really not entering the Magic Tournament again?"
"There's no need for me to."
"As expected, I can't understand…"
Ruina's face twisted ever so slightly.
"…This coffee is awfully bitter."
"I ordered it bitter on purpose. I brought something that pairs well with it."
Chocolate. Exquisitely luxurious, sweet yet refreshing, smooth yet tangy.
"…What is this?"
"World Tree bark chocolate. I got it from Aria. The elves seemed to enjoy it quite sweet."
Indeed, it was so sweet her tongue almost ached, yet it slid down smoothly, strangely pleasant.
As fernan said, it paired well with the bitter coffee.
"This is precious… Thank you. But why don't you participate?"
"Why ask?"
"Because it feels wasteful. Since you've already taken the top seat, isn't hiding your strength meaningless?"
"You're not wrong."
If he had hidden his ability from the beginning, that would be one thing. But fernan had already seized the top position and become the center of attention.
Even paired with Ruina, his grades would hardly suffer; whether he entered the Magic Tournament or not would change little.
However—
"Ruina berchef. You're overlooking one fact."
"What fact?"
"The Magic Tournament prohibits the use of artifacts and scrolls."
"..."
Of course, even without that, fernan was by no means weak. But it was undeniable that his wealth-fueled equipment played a large role.
"So don't worry about me—focus on yourself. I trust you."
"…You mean me?"
"Yes. I believe you'll win."
At those words, Ruina faltered for a moment. But soon she regained her composure and asked,
"…Are you betting money on me?"
"If I profit thanks to you, I'll share a portion with you."
So that was it.
Ruina gave a hollow laugh.
"If that happens, I'd like it deducted from my family's debt."
However small the amount, if it helped even a little, it was worthwhile.
"As much as you like."
fernan's confident smile. With that, Ruina's recollection ended.
Afterward, they had simply exchanged a bit of small talk before parting—nothing remarkable.
Except—
"Aina, Bella. One more round."
Maybe it was because she knew money was involved, or maybe because of the encouragement and expectations she had received.
"Again?"
"I'm going to die…!"
Either way, Ruina felt a sudden surge of motivation.
She wanted to repay it. Whatever the reason, she had received much from fernan.
"Here I come."
"W-wait!"
"You're way too fired up this time!"
Ruina's grip on her sword tightened.
The central region of the Empire.
Once known as the Kingdom of Armian and long under the rule of the Armian family, it was now a territory of Schwaben. There, one fairly infamous organization had made its nest.
"…Aberrants?"
A man rubbed his eyes and checked the report again. Still, the words on the page did not change.
"They're saying aberrants really appeared?"
"Yes, sir."
Those who sold their souls to demons and in return gained demonic power.
Aberrants, demon-worshippers, demon's hounds, traitors of humanity—many terms had been used to describe them, but now "aberrants" had become the fixed one.
"Don't tell me it's fabricated again? If we get caught this time, we're finished…"
"This is a submission. Please read the report properly."
"A submission? From someone trustworthy?"
In truth, they had only swarmed a thousand years ago, and ever since demons were eradicated, they had long vanished under centuries of imperial persecution.
"Yes. The informant is Mikale Montella."
"Mikale Montella?"
The man's eyes widened.
"The Headmaster of the Academy?"
"And an Archmage as well."
"For real?"
"It's true."
"No way someone like him would send a false report just for fun, right?"
"Absolutely not. Aberrants have been discovered inside the Academy."
"Hah…!"
Finally grasping the seriousness of the matter, the man began to pore over the report he had only skimmed before.
"Aberrants attacking students inside the Academy…"
"Not only that—they say aberrants were lurking all throughout the Academy."
"Those insane bastards…! They've completely lost their fear. How dare they target the Academy."
The man exploded in fury. But his eyes and mouth were smiling.
"If there are aberrant scum threatening the Empire's future, we can't just sit still, can we?"
"Of course not."
"Imagine how terrified the students must have been. Soul-selling worms of demons running rampant among them."
"They must all be eradicated."
"Exactly. This is the kind of matter specialists should handle."
Like us.
The man's smile grew even wider.
"Book passage immediately. We're going to the Academy. We must protect our fragile students trembling in fear."
They were a breed that thrived only when demons existed.
A breed that, in truth, hoped for demons to run rampant.
The Empire called them the Inquisitors.
READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE-https://payhip.com/Beastnovels