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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“But wait a minute… Why is something this good considered a forbidden text? There might be a trap. Better safe than sorry.”
Allen mused.
“What happens after the questions are…”
He trailed off, a thought suddenly striking him.
‘Wouldn’t that count as one of the three questions? Is it okay to waste a question like this? But what if something goes wrong? What guarantee do I have that this thing is telling the truth?’
Multiple thoughts tangled in his mind, preventing him from speaking.
The crux of the matter was whether he could trust the fairy… no, the giant before him.
“…Hey. Can I trust this guy? Oh, I’m not asking you, Mimir.”
“An interesting human.”
Mimir commented.
Ignoring the floating giant, Allen looked at the serpent coiled around his wrist.
“You understand me, right? I’ll trust what you say. So, answer me.”
—Humm… Hum!—
“So I can trust him?”
—Hum!—
The serpent even nodded.
‘That’s good enough for me. If anything goes wrong, I’ll throw you into a furnace.’
Allen thought.
—Humm?!—
The serpent flinched, as if shocked.
‘Ah, it can read my thoughts.’
Allen realized.
He cleared his throat.
“First question. How do I lift this curse on me?”
“Acknowledged.”
Mimir’s… tail? It felt strange to call it that.
Anyway, the forbidden text connected to him began to flip rapidly.
The crisp sound of turning pages subsided as it stopped on a specific page, and Mimir’s eyes flashed.
“The curse on you is peculiar. You are not the intended target. If you are experiencing discomfort from the curse, it is merely its struggle to reach its true target.”
“Exactly. I absorbed a curse meant for someone else.”
Mimir had immediately grasped the core of the curse.
‘Seems like he’s not all talk.’
Allen thought.
“In that case, it’s simple. Transfer the curse back to its intended target.”
‘…Or not?’
“Is there no other way?”
“By the rules, I should consider that your second question and mock your stupidity…”
Mimir’s eyes flicked to the side before returning to Allen.
He had definitely looked at the serpent…
‘Was there some connection?’
“But I am a benevolent giant, so I will make an exception. Your first question is how to lift the curse from both you and the intended target, correct?”
“Yes.”
Glancing at the serpent again, Mimir calmly spoke.
“First, that curse is no ordinary curse. It was created long ago, in ancient times, by a Greater Demon to increase its followers. …Upon closer inspection, its completion is pathetic compared to the original. A dark mage who made a pact with a Greater Demon likely cast it.”
‘A Greater Demon… He probably means the current demons, or even the Demon King.’
Allen thought.
‘Those Archbishops… could they use the Demon King’s curses? But they clearly couldn’t use them freely. Otherwise, they would have already taken over the world.’
“Once the curse is complete, the target becomes a servant of the Greater Demon. To be precise, their soul and body become bound to the Greater Demon.”
“So how do I lift it?”
“Impatient, aren’t we? To lift the curse, you must kill the Greater Demon.”
“And if that’s impossible?”
He couldn’t just go to the Demon Realm and kill the Demon King.
He didn’t even know how to get there, and there were seven of them.
Which one was he supposed to kill?
Was he supposed to keep asking questions like he was playing twenty questions?
‘Was Mimir intentionally making him ask more questions?’
As suspicion filled his eyes, the serpent slithered forward.
—Humm!—
“…I will tell you the method with the highest probability of success.”
Mimir had suddenly become helpful.
‘Just what are you, serpent?’
Allen wondered.
“The reason you, a capable warrior, cannot lift the curse is because you are human. Your level is not comparable to a Greater Demon, making it impossible to lift the curse. Gain the recognition of a god and become a demigod. Then, you will be able to resist even a Greater Demon’s curse. A curse of this low level would be nothing; you could erase it with a flick of your finger.”
“What…?”
‘Suddenly, gods are involved? And a demigod? The Church would arrest him for blasphemy!’
Seeing his bewildered expression, Mimir pointed at him.
“Do you not possess the Flame Essence, proof of an Apostle? With that, you have the minimum qualifications to attempt the trial.”
“Flame Essence? So… does that mean the Helios family are Apostles of a god?”
had inadvertently asked another question.
Mimir frowned, biting his lip.
“…This is truly my last act of mercy. Yes. Humans may have forgotten, but if they still follow the ancient traditions, the Helios family will have the answer.”
It was clear Mimir was holding back.
If it weren’t for the serpent, Allen would have already used up all his questions.
He bowed his head towards the serpent in gratitude.
This wasn’t just a lucky charm; it was practically a god.
—Humm!—
The serpent slithered onto his head, seemingly pleased.
‘Go ahead, do whatever you want.’
Allen thought.
“Ask your next question. I want to go back.”
Mimir said, his voice laced with irritation.
Allen felt a pang of guilt.
He had essentially forced Mimir to provide extra service.
‘Just what was their relationship?’
“Second question. What is this thing’s true identity?”
—Humm?—
“You don’t know?”
Mimir’s eyes widened, as if asking how he could not know.
Allen awkwardly scratched his head.
“I only met it recently.”
“…What did you even see in…”
—Hum!—
“…Understood.”
—Hummm!—
“But that goes against my duty…”
—Hum! Humm! Hummm!—
‘Just what are they talking about?’
The sight of the giant, dozens of times larger than the serpent, groveling was comical.
‘Whatever it is, it must be an incredibly powerful being…’
After a lengthy conversation, Mimir sighed deeply and spoke.
“…Since they do not wish it, I will only tell you their name.”
“I understand. Whatever it is, I know it’s more powerful than you.”
Mimir sighed again.
“…Thank you. Their name is Ophiuchus. When you complete the vessel, the weapon, you will learn their true identity.”
“Ooh… So how do I complete it? Oh, you can consider this my third question.”
“Your level must increase. Your soul is connected to it, so your growth is the weapon’s growth.”
“So…”
“You want to ask how to increase your level, right? There are countless ways. You can gain enlightenment, consume the core of a spiritual beast, or defeat a higher-level being. However, as I said before, passing the god’s trial is the fastest way.”
“……”
Mimir rattled off the answers as if he couldn’t wait to leave.
‘Was talking to Allen that stressful? Or was it because of the serpent… no, Ophiuchus?’
“I have answered your three questions, so I will be taking my leave. Do not seek me out again.”
‘Whoosh!’
Unlike his grand entrance, Mimir vanished instantly back into the forbidden text.
Only the closed book remained.
An awkward silence filled the air.
“Um… should we leave?”
—Humm!—
Allen left the room with Ophiuchus and headed out of the library.
“Ophiuchus. It’s a cool name, but it’s a bit of a mouthful. Can I just call you Ophi?”
—Hum!—
“Alright. I look forward to working with you, Ophi.”
—Hummm!—
He remembered that in his past life, overpowered characters or classes in games were called OP.
‘It’s a perfect fit.’
He thought.
“I feel so much better~!”
Knowing how to lift the curse had eased his mind.
Strictly speaking, he only knew the method, and objectively, he still had a long way to go… but seeing a path forward was what mattered.
Aerius had said he wouldn’t encounter the Heretics for a while.
‘Until the inter-academy competition, I can focus on my students.’
He thought.
The competition, his current goal, was fast approaching.
‘If I want them to take all top four spots, I’ll have to push them hard.’
“I’m already looking forward to it. You too, Ophi?”
—Humm~!—
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Time could feel like an eternity when it crawled, but it could also vanish in the blink of an eye.
Case in point: the inter-academy competition was tomorrow.
“You’ve all worked hard. So, do you think you can take first place?”
Allen asked with a grin.
He was met not with answers, but with murderous glares.
“…Did you really just ask that?”
“After everything…?”
“Sigh…”
“I’m going to kill you…”
Covered in dirt and grime, their hair disheveled, his students looked like they had been through a war.
Sena, who had prioritized healing her friends, was finally tending to her own broken arm.
It was the result of their final sparring match.
‘Did I go too far?’
He wondered.
They looked more determined to kill him than to win the competition.
The intensity of their gazes, like starving predators, sent a shiver down his spine.
All he had done was spar against them four-on-one.
‘Well, they did have to deal with Aile’s magic and Black Wolf’s stealth attacks… but that’s what it takes to be number one, right?’
“You were a bit harsh.”
Aile commented.
“Harsh is an understatement.”
Black Wolf added.
“…Haha…”
‘So I was harsh.’
Allen thought, chuckling awkwardly.
As his students shambled towards him like zombies, he racked his brain.
‘They had worked hard, so they deserved a reward. Hmm, what would be good? When in doubt, give them options.’
“Whoever takes first place gets one wish granted.”
“…A wish?”
Their eyes gleamed, but this time, with a different kind of intensity.
They exchanged glances.
“……”
Then, as if reaching a silent agreement, they nodded.
Lux, at the front, spoke.
“Any wish?”
“…Y-yes.”
As he nodded, they quietly returned to their dormitories.
Watching them leave, a sense of unease settled over him.
‘Did I just say something I shouldn’t have…?’
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[Bro just sold his soul to his students. He’s gonna pay BIG time. Also i bet the ophi is actually a big tiddy goddes stuck in the bracelet, no doubt about it]
