NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62
Three women gathering is said to shatter plates.
And honestly, it felt like it would happen.
The buzzing in my head wasn’t helping, my body was aching all over, and my thoughts were a tangled mess. Listening to their chitchat was making me feel like I was about to regurgitate my blood.
So I kicked them all out.
It was simple enough.
I pressed the bell for emergencies to call the head maid and asked her to throw out all the uninvited guests.
Even that reckless Vice Headmaster Leona was dragged out like a cat caught by the scruff of its neck.
After such a horrific commotion settled down, peace returned.
“…Ugh.”
I barely managed to lift my body, leaning my back against the wall.
Last night’s conversation with Flora had piled up countless thoughts in my head.
But I decided to put that off for later.
What’s important now is how yesterday’s events unfolded.
Fabiana’s intention to handle things quietly seemed to have shattered to pieces.
That said, Fabiana wouldn’t have spilled everything. She made a vow.
If the museum’s weapons were not being questioned, it seems the incident was well covered up.
It looks like I couldn’t hide that I was inside that labyrinth. But, well… I think it can’t be helped.
As soon as I exited the labyrinth, a mountain of people was waiting for me. Surely, rumors spread far and wide through their mouths.
And since it’s vital to open the Royal Family’s Treasure House or Forbidden Library, it must mean I accomplished something significant.
Still, this is just too much.
While I haven’t gone outside to hear the rumors within the Academy, the Royal Knight Order of Eustetia seems to be on the move. If my father is also coming, the speed at which rumors are spreading is terrifying.
Only someone bold enough could pull such a stunt.
“…Royal Family?”
Is the rumor about me being in there trying to conceal the fact that a knight from the Imperial Palace attempted to kill Silina?
Indeed, that kind of event could tarnish the honor of the Royal Knight Order, thus undermining the Royal Family’s authority.
An incident that could spiral into a scandal.
So, they might cover it up with another issue.
But such a despicable method isn’t something someone like Fabiana or Silina would resort to.
Therefore, I could assume someone from the Royal Family, aside from those two, spreads the rumors with some sort of agenda.
And that someone could possibly be a human who has struck a deal with the demon race.
The goal? To find the human who killed even a half-demon.
When I faced them, the only human capable of killing that demon was… at best, Fabiana.
But that was before the demon made its last-ditch effort. No human could kill a demon that absorbed all the magic energy accumulated in the labyrinth.
While Fabiana by herself could bring enough power, the problem is experience.
No matter how strong one is, experience plays the biggest role when facing a demon.
Thinking through all of that…
If you consider that all four of us, including Yurasia, Silina, and me, cooperated, we might just get through… but it certainly wouldn’t be easy.
It would be ambiguous to say the demon didn’t do such things. From the outside, the changes within the labyrinth would have definitely been noticeable.
Any human who knows even a little about demons would quickly realize that the demon absorbed the magic from within the labyrinth.
This means there must be a powerful being within the labyrinth, and whoever is identified as that powerful being would attract the demon’s attention.
It’s a very troublesome situation.
According to Flora, I bear the same soul as my previous life.
That means beings capable of seeing souls would recognize ‘me’.
Of course, only those who had the ability to see souls since 400 years ago and had seen me at least once could do that, but it still poses a danger.
The stupid demon I met yesterday recognized me; if a slightly notable demon were to come across me, how would that turn out?
They’d likely try to kill me on the spot, regardless of any alliances.
This isn’t just an overestimation.
I’ve… well, let’s just say I have a lot of grudges against demons, which makes this plausible.
Of course, I do have means to take down upper-level demons…
But using ‘that’ would make me a ticking time bomb, and the entire world of demons would learn that I am the reincarnation of Ronan.
“Ugh, damn it…”
If only something had happened while I was awake, I might have thought up some way to deal with it, but since it all went down while I was sleeping, it’s hard to keep up.
I wonder if I can meet Fabiana if I go outside now.
Probably not.
Both Fabiana and Silina would be in the Imperial Palace.
So who else would be around? Someone who could potentially piece together this situation, knowledgeable about the various rumors and information.
One name comes to mind.
But…
“…Ugh, I really don’t want to.”
I sighed and lifted my head.
“What’s so unbearable?”
And standing there was someone I had clearly kicked out moments ago.
“It isn’t me, right? Hehe.”
Adelia Baros was standing there with a bright smile.
*
Adelia, who had invaded my room uninvited, explained the current situation in detail.
First off, the ones spreading the rumors were not Silina or Fabiana, as I had predicted. And it turns out the gossip indeed started from the Imperial Palace.
The cause of the rumors was said to be for the sake of the Royal Family’s prestige.
Of course, they were clueless about the real situation. Even Adelia couldn’t dig that deep.
A powerful being capable of veiling Adelia’s eyes had laid down a barrier over the entire Imperial Palace or something like that.
Next, she spoke about various political matters but filtered out everything unnecessary.
I did properly catch that Fabiana and Silina were staying at the Academy.
And after finishing the political chatter, the news that followed was quite good.
After 70 years, the Treasure House of the Imperial Palace is set to open.
As for who gets to enter, it’s me and Yurasia.
As a reward for subjugating the demon and mage within the labyrinth, we can take out one piece of equipment from the Treasure House.
Additionally, I was granted access to the Forbidden Library as well.
In the midst of that, due to Fabiana’s insistence and the infamous Crazy Woman’s reputation, it seems a lot of issues arose but everything appears to have been resolved on the surface.
However, there was one condition attached.
When entering the Forbidden Library, I must bring one member from the Royal Family along with me.
And regarding that part, Eustetia apparently expressed a strong opinion.
If we were to attend with a Royal Family member, we must also bring one linked to Eustetia.
Eustetia seems to realize that this labyrinth incident was not merely an accident but an event. Hence, it seems they decided to step in as protectors to eliminate any potential risks.
This assertion means Eustetia holds suspicions against the Royal Family, yet the Royal Family showed no discomfort and gladly approved.
Perhaps, the first assumption is that the Royal Family didn’t want to be on bad terms with Eustetia.
The second guess could be that the Royal Family is willing to take responsibility for this incident, bearing even minor issues.
The final assumption would be that Eustetia, or rather… my father, took a very strong stance.
Whatever it is, being able to have a member of Eustetia alongside me at the Royal Family’s side is a significant advantage.
In a situation where everyone seems like an enemy, having someone I can count on is invaluable.
Additionally, difficult questions or political matters can be easily resolved by passing them off to that companion.
Even though I felt somewhat relieved…
I still didn’t understand why she came here spontaneously and discreetly explained all this to me.
Did she want something from me?
But all I have is Eustetia’s name and my own body.
“So, what’s the reason for explaining this?”
“It’s because it seems my student is in a difficult situation.”
“…Is that all?”
“Of course. Does a professor from the Academy need a specific reason to protect their student?”
“Hmm…”
I pulled my blanket up to my chin and shot a glare at Adelia.
“And Miss Eliaernes… well, for some reason, she’s trying to hide her powers, isn’t she?”
“I’ve heard that having many secrets makes one more alluring.”
“Someone like Eliaernes would be more than charming even without secrets, but alright. I’m trying to keep that secret for her. So there’s no need to be so wary.”
“Isn’t it a bit excessive to ask me not to be cautious around a Dark Mage who can show up in a student’s room so casually without a warning or prelude?”
“Even so, I wouldn’t lay a hand on Miss Eliaernes, would I? Honestly, hehe. If it were the Eliaernes of now, weakened like this, I could easily play with her without magic, but I’m holding back. How about trusting me just a little bit more?”
“That makes me even more uneasy.”
With narrowed eyes, I clutched my blanket tighter. Adelia beamed at my reaction.
…This is uncomfortable.
By the way, how did she know I was so frail right now?
Could it be that it’s obvious just from looking?
She might have overheard me calling for a priest earlier.
Even so… I hadn’t shown signs of being weak enough to use that word…
‘There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize Ronan’s soul. Sure, I might seem a lot weaker now, maybe I’ve pushed myself too much, but anyway, it’s definitely Ronan’s soul.’
…No way?
“I have a question.”
“Feel free to ask.”
“Are you, by any chance—”
“Um, it’s not ‘that side’, it’s Professor Adelia.”
“Uh… right. Um, well… uh… Professor Adelia, are you able to see well?”
Adelia, who had tilted her head at my question, responded nonchalantly.
“Yes. As I said before, I have good eyesight. I can see far and see a lot.”
“…No, I mean, not that. I mean, can you see the shape of souls or something like that?”
Adelia’s eyes widened.
Just for a moment, her red eyes shimmered alluringly, and she smiled coyly.
“The shape of souls…”
A blush pink tongue shyly licked her lips, and she took a step closer.
“Yes, I can.”
She whispered into my ear.
“I can even see that right now, Miss Eliaernes’s soul is weaker than usual.”