Master 53

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“Oh, Brother. Are you all righ….”  

Cecil, who had rushed into the room, panting heavily, froze when she saw me standing in front of her with wide eyes.  

“Hik.”  

But then, as she took in the gruesome scene before her, she couldn’t even take a few more steps before she stood frozen in place.  

It was understandable—  

The pungent stench of blood filled the air.  

Black magic was seeping into every corner of the room.  

A suspicious magic circle was drawn on the floor.  

And at its center stood both Runiel and me.  

It would be stranger if she didn’t react this way in such an apocalyptic atmosphere.  

“……How did you get in here?”  

“Uh, well… That is….”  

However, the strange thing was how Cecil had managed to break through the black mages’ seal and enter this place.  

As far as I knew, their seal interfered with the space itself, redirecting unauthorized intruders back to their original location while guiding the authorized ones into a hidden space.  

Simply put, it was no different from casting a shadow over space itself to create a separate domain.  

“When I woke up, I heard suspicious people had taken you away….” 

“……” 

“I followed them and kept banging on the door… Then, I brought my sword and smashed it down….”  

Yet, despite merely breaking down the door, Cecil had somehow entered the sanctuary created by the black mages without any issues.  

And if someone outside had deactivated the seal, that didn’t seem right either—the exit Cecil had destroyed was still blocked by a wall of black smoke.  

Was this even possible?  

Even Runiel, who was stronger than Cecil, wouldn’t have been able to shatter the seal and enter.  

Moreover, when I was dragged here by the black mages, I was certain no one had witnessed it.  

“Let’s get out of here first.”  

“But, Brother, you’re hurt… No, more than that, what about these people…?”  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

Despite the many questions in my head, I decided to focus on handling the immediate situation first.  

Lowering my voice, I whispered to Cecil, who was staring at me with a terrified expression.  

“You saw nothing here.”  

“Nothing happened in this place. Understood?”  

As I watched Cecil’s face turn pale at my words, my heart ached.  

But I had no choice but to be firm.  

‘If the selection tournament is canceled now, everything will be for nothing.’  

For Cecil, who had become the strongest candidate for victory by defeating Hayden, this incident could not be exposed.  

Even if it meant that the image of the kind and gentle older brother she had always held dear would shatter into pieces,  

Even if it meant that she would see me as the mastermind behind such horrific deeds, there was no turning back now.  

“W-Wait. Brother…”  

Determined, I turned toward the exit, but Cecil’s trembling voice from behind made me bite my lip.  

“…Cecil, just pretend you didn’t see anything.”  

Even after witnessing such horrors, she was still worrying about me?  

Cecil was truly too kind to be my sister.  

“Didn’t you confidently declare that you’d become the family head?”  

“…….”

“Then, you must stay out of dark affairs like this.”  

That was why I had no choice but to be even harsher with her.  

If she ever tried to support me out of loyalty and things went wrong, I wouldn’t be able to face our deceased mother.  

“Hmm.”  

With those thoughts, I walked toward the exit, avoiding Cecil’s hesitant gaze.  

But then, I furrowed my brows.  

‘Right. My mana is depleted.’  

Controlling the doppelgänger and wearing the mana-restricting shackles had left me completely drained.  

Even though Runiel was by my side, she was a swordswoman, not a mage, so I couldn’t receive any mana from her.  

I had no choice but to rely on Cecil for one last favor.  

“…Cecil.”  

“Y-Yes?”  

“Can you share some of your mana with me?”  

At my weak voice, Cecil, who had been fidgeting anxiously behind me, hurried over and took my hand.  

“Brother….”  

“?”  

“Uh?”  

“Um… You know…”  

As she obediently transferred her mana to me, she hesitated before finally speaking.  

“I think I’ve misunderstood you all this time.”  

“……”  

“I’m… I’m sorry. I mean, I just…”  

Even though I had prepared for this, hearing it directly from her made my chest ache.  

But thinking about it, this wasn’t such a bad outcome.  

The more Cecil distanced herself from me, the safer she would be.  

“Yes, I’m not the good person you thought I was.”  

“…?”  

“I kidnapped the saint, orchestrated the midterm exam incident, and everything you saw just now… was all part of my plan.”  

As I delivered the final blow to Cecil, who was already faltering, she looked bewildered.  

“Well, I already figured that much….”  

At her awkward response, I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.  

‘She’s still trying to take my side.’  

She must have never even considered that I could be a bad person,  

Which meant I had no choice but to give her an even greater shock.  

“Cecil, I controlled Hayden to try and make you fail.”  

Only then did Cecil gasp sharply and stare at me in disbelief.  

“But… then why….”  

She tried to ask something, her face full of confusion.  

– Goooooo…  

Just then, the mana Cecil had transferred was enough for me to dissolve the seal blocking the exit.  

‘…How betrayed must she feel right now?’  

Even after this was over, things wouldn’t go back to normal.  

*****  

“Sir Whitney…. Huff.”  

“Hiiiik.”  

As Whitney coldly left the storage room, the dean and teachers, who had been anxiously trying to break the seal from the outside, gasped and stepped back.  

“W-What on earth happened inside?”  

Whitney was covered in blood, bearing severe wounds on his shoulder—anyone would have reacted that way.  

“Haha. Would you like to check for yourself?”  

Glancing around, Whitney then took a step aside, revealing the inside of the storage room with a broad smile.  

“See? Nothing happened.”  

“…Huh?”  

Those who peered inside with tense expressions could only blink in confusion at the sight of the dust-covered storage room, looking just as it always had.  

“Then… what about those injuries?”  

“I had a little scuffle with my maid.”  

“And we’re supposed to believe that?”  

The dean narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Whitney’s explanation with suspicion.  

“Dean…. I think you’re missing something here.”  

But in situations like this, Whitney was always a step ahead.  

“Do you realize I’m giving you a chance right now?”  

“What….”  

“They say one mistake is a misstep, two is a habit, but three is intentional.”  

And with the chilling smile Whitney wore, those who faced him hesitated, swallowing back their words.  

“If it comes out that another black magic-related incident happened during the selection tournament, it won’t just be you, dean—it’ll be the entire academy that bears responsibility.”  

“….”  

“…Of course, that’s only if you insist on investigating this trivial mishap. Hah.”  

Unlike the usual misunderstandings that stemmed from his appearance and tone, this time, Whitney’s words carried clear intent—an unmistakable threat.  

“Now that I think about it… perhaps this isn’t such a big deal after all….”  

“Right?”

“…Sorry for the trouble, Sir Whitney.”  

Already under pressure from multiple sources due to two previous incidents involving black magic, the dean had no choice but to comply.  

“It’s nothing. Oh, by the way, a few servants asked me to inform you that they’ve resigned.”  

“…Hmm.”  

“I trust that, as a reasonable man, you won’t feel the need to pry into their personal decisions.”  

With that, Whitney concluded his one-sided agreement with the dean and stepped forward, pushing past the teachers.  

“Now then, I’ll be returning to the judges’ stand for the second match.”  

“Oh, but first—mind if I use the showers?”  

As he quietly removed his bloodstained coat and walked away with Runiel, the others could only stare at him in stunned silence.  

“Brother, wait…”  

“……”

“Just one—just one question.”  

Unlike the rest, Cecil quickly followed him outside and grabbed his arm.  

“If you really tried to make me fail, why did you let me win?”  

“……”

“No, more than that—why didn’t you stop me from participating in the selection tournament in the first place?”  

Whitney stood still for a moment before lowering his voice to answer.  

“That’s…”  

“I-I found him!”  

But before he could finish, a panicked voice echoed from the end of the hallway, cutting him off entirely.  

“There you are!”  

“Lady Hestia?”  

“Huff, huff…”  

Hestia—who should have been sitting safely in the judges’ stand under Meredia’s protection, waiting for the tournament to end—was now walking toward him, panting heavily.  

“Why are you here…?”  

“I need to talk to you.”  

Whitney glanced at Runiel, silently signaling her.  

“Follow me for a moment.”  

“W-Wait… Ahh!?”  

Understanding his signal immediately, Runiel hoisted Cecil over her shoulder and sprinted off toward the infirmary.  

“Now then, let’s hear why you broke the plan and came here.”  

With the interruption gone, Whitney scanned his surroundings before speaking with a disinterested expression.  

“Your plan is going to fail.”  

“…What?”  

His expression stiffened at Hestia’s words.  

“For some reason, the Demon King has appeared. And because of that, a demon is going to be summoned.”  

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  

As he murmured in confusion, Hestia stomped her foot and raised her voice.  

“Ugh, you always act like you know everything, but now you’re clueless?!”  

“That’s just a stereotype…”  

“Never mind that! Just follow me—this tournament isn’t important right now. We need to evacuate everyone—”  

Abandoning any attempt at a detailed explanation, Hestia reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him along.  

“Wait a second… You…”  

But as soon as she touched him, her face turned even paler.  

“What happened to you in such a short time?”  

“Nothing in particular?”  

Her sharp question made Whitney awkwardly avert his gaze.  

“The darkness inside you… it’s gotten stronger.”  

“…Excuse me?”  

“Actually, when I said I couldn’t see anything back then, I was lying.”  

No matter how much Whitney tried to evade the topic, Hestia could clearly see it—something had taken deeper root in his soul.  

“…No way. Then, that energy I sensed…”  

She leaned in closer, scrutinizing him.  

Then, as if realizing something, her eyes widened.  

“The presence I felt before… was—”  

– BOOOOM!  

A deafening explosion suddenly echoed through the arena.  

“Kyaaah!”  

“What the…?”  

A massive tremor shook the entire academy grounds.  

*****  

“Shit!”  

I instinctively grabbed the stumbling saint and steadied her before taking in the situation.  

“All the black mages should have been dealt with…!”  

The very scenario I had endured torture to prevent—the final act of Chapter 1, ‘The Academy Raid’—was now beginning.  

If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before a demon, a being far stronger than even high-tier monsters, appeared in the heart of the academy.  

The kind of monster that only the ‘Hero’, the player character, was supposed to fight.  

“Did I miss some loose ends…!?”  

If such a being were summoned here without the hero present—unlike in the original story—it would be an absolute disaster.  

“Saint, I’m sorry, but I need your help—!”  

I closed my eyes, focusing my mind to try and detect any remnants of black magic.  

But before I could begin, Hestia stopped me with an unexpectedly calm voice.  

“Calm down. No one could have prevented this. Not even the black mages.”  

Her words shocked me.  

“…What do you mean?”  

“The demon was sealed inside the academy all along.”  

“What?”  

“The black mages were trying to force it out. But now… it’s emerging of its own will.”  

I stared blankly at her.  

For now, I set aside the question of how she knew this and focused on the logical flaw in her claim.  

“But even if that’s true, there shouldn’t have been anything to trigger it…”  

“No, there was one thing.”  

She already had the answer.  

“Who do you think is the person closest to becoming the Demon King in this world?”  

“…Uh, um.”  

Before I could respond, another massive tremor shook the ground beneath my feet.  

I gave up thinking and blurted out the first name that came to mind.  

“Lady Meredia?”  

“…If you weren’t here, then yes.”  

But instead of agreeing, Hestia shook her head and raised her hand—pointing straight at me.  

“But right now, the one closest to becoming the Demon King… is standing in front of me.”  

“…What?”  

For a moment, I thought I had misheard her.  

Then, Hestia delivered the final blow with a low voice.  

“Whitney Lingard—you are the one destined to become the Demon King.”  

“…Hah.”  

What kind of absurd nonsense was this?

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