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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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In the Seraphi Hall common dining room, the table was set with Yeriel’s meat soup and bread.
“Lev, you’re here.”
“Oh, everyone’s already here.”
“Lev! Ah… welcome…”
“Welcome.”
“…”
The five of us began our dinner. I sat down in my empty seat.
‘Something’s a bit different.’
But today felt a little different from usual. Normally, Lily, who would have clung to me from the entrance, was tearfully spooning soup into her mouth across from me, and there was a strange, wary atmosphere between everyone.
‘I should formally apologize to Aria today.’
-First, Lev needs to be forgiven by Aria.
-And if you give me a proper answer to my confession…! Then I’ll reconsider…!
I had a promise with Yeriel, and although our relationship had been ambiguous because Lily wouldn’t let me go, today Lily didn’t seem to be in a good mood, so I could just leave her be and go to Aria.
Then,
“Lev Denec, who is she?”
“Hmm?”
It was Selena, her eyes closed and arms crossed, who broke the silence.
“You reek of another woman.”
“!”
She opened one eye and looked at me.
“……”
As I was momentarily struck dumb,
“Lev.”
Yeriel, sitting at the head of the table like a proper dorm prefect, spoke coldly.
“Huh?”
“Your last class today was supposed to end at 5 PM… but it’s five minutes past 6 PM, the dinner time…”
At the beginning of the semester, Yeriel and I had shared our class schedules, so she knew my every move. Since I had broken the curfew (which only applied to me), Yeriel seemed a little sulky.
“Yes, yes, Lev always keeps his promises… Did the circulating train have an accident…?”
“Ah, Yeriel, that’s.”
I calculated that I was about five minutes late because I had missed a train while talking to Yellody. Seeing Yeriel’s smiling face, as if she were denying reality, a heavy sense of guilt washed over me.
“I was late because I ran into a senior from my department. I’m sorry.”
“Ah…?”
“Who?”
This time, Selena asked me.
“It was Yellody… the head of the Magic Department Committee.”
“Why her? You’re in the Marksman Department.”
“I know…”
As the interrogation continued, Yeriel and Lily came to my defense again.
“Selena, it’s dinnertime. Let’s leave it at that for now…”
“That’s right! It’s cowardly to argue during a meal! Om nom nom…”
“Is it? He’s going to be my partner. I think I have a right to ask.”
“…Huh?!”
“That’s…!”
At Selena’s ‘partner’ remark, the other two, besides Aria, looked a little shocked.
“Oh, didn’t you know? I’ve already introduced Lev to my parents.”
“!”
…I had.
“By the way, Lev Denec. You were an easier man than I thought?”
“An elf bringing another person into their domain… what do you think that means?”
It was an unavoidable choice to accompany Selena to stop Darian. Everyone’s hands, holding their utensils, stopped. The atmosphere grew heavy. It was extremely rare for an elf to introduce a human to their parents.
‘Isn’t this a dangerous development…?’
“And elves live much longer than humans. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to steal him away like a stray cat.”
As Selena continued to be smug, Lily asked me with a tearful expression, “Lev… is what Selena said… true…?”
Yeriel also looked confused, as if she wanted me to deny it.
‘I’m going to lose my mind…’
It was all my own doing, but… it was all coming together like this…?
As I was clutching my throbbing head, wondering how to get out of this situation,
“You said ‘stray cat.’”
Once again, it was the Saint who saved me. No, it was Aria. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she seemed calm.
“I have no hobby of belittling others, but the stray cat… might be referring to you, Selena.”
“What?”
“I received a confession from him long before you had any connection with Lev.”
“…?!”
Selena frowned, her beautiful brows furrowed, and looked back and forth between me and Aria. This was also true.
“Let’s go out. Let’s go out. You’re the type who doesn’t really care about anyone anyway, right? Aren’t I good enough? Don’t tell me you like that trash Edwin. Anyway, that Edwin guy…”
But it was a confession from the real Lev Denec, not me, and…
“I know you’re not someone who’s that clueless.”
“…Do I have to say it out loud?”
“…hadn’t Aria practically rejected me with those words?”
“Lev, am I wrong?”
“You’re right, but…”
“Lily, I can’t tolerate this!”
“Lev Denec! You…!”
Selena feigned anger. She was beautiful even then, but this wasn’t the time to admire her. To get out of this situation, it might be better to side with one of them… but that wasn’t the end of it. Aria, with a serious but slightly sad expression, declared to us all.
“Then, I’ll state my position here.”
“!”
‘Huh…?’
“I’ll give you an answer to your confession, Lev.”
“W-Wait!”
Despite Selena’s cry, Aria looked at me with her azure eyes and whispered, “…Alright. Let’s go out. Lev Denec.”
“……”
With her one sentence that ended everything… my record of 0 confessions and 3 rejections changed to 0 confessions, 2 rejections, and 1 success.
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At the center of Clarice Academy, at the end of the straight main street connecting the central square… stood a long and tall magic tower, visible even from outside the academy.
The magic towers of Clarice usually had resident personnel for their respective roles, but this central magic tower was strictly controlled, so there was no sign of people except for occasional cleaning and maintenance.
The reason for this special management was simple. There were two sanctuaries in Clarice. One, in the form of a condensed essence, was located in the Divine Hall training ground, where priests and acolytes were trained.
The other was here. A sanctuary in the form of a giant jewel was located on the top floor of the central magic tower. And now… there was an old man here.
Considering the neatness of his clothes and the dignity emanating from his long beard, he was no ordinary old man. He was the dean of Clarice. Of course, that was just his public identity…
“Belial. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Kikik. Not at all?”
“…”
His true identity, laughing frivolously in a way that didn’t match his appearance, was the Great Demon known as Belial.
Belial’s ability was to ‘corrupt.’ And among the Great Demons, only he possessed the unique ability to disguise himself as a human, plot, and cause discord, leading to destruction. Beside him was a boy with a beautiful voice.
It was also an illusion of the Great Demon called Paimon. Paimon, the second-in-command, considered to be the strongest after Baal, the strongest of the 72 demons. The number of demonic legions under his command reached over 200.
The reason the two of them were having such a secret meeting at the academy, right in front of the sanctuary, was simple.
Recently, there had been three.
26th – Bune,
35th – Marchosias,
63rd – Andras.
This was not good news for the demons.
“He is still recovering his power. It will take some more time. But this trend is not good.”
“Hmm~”
“Belial, it’s time for you to step up.”
“Goo~d.”
Belial had been waiting for this day. How long had he spent hiding his true form among humans? Finally, he could slaughter all these disgusting humans, reveal his true identity, and make them tremble in fear… an ideal demonic amusement.
Coo…
Just as Belial was licking his lips and trembling with anticipation, Paimon’s words stopped him in his tracks.
“There’s one thing you have to do first.”
“Ugh…! What?”
“There are too many dimensional gates here connected to densely populated human areas. And if the central sanctuary is attacked, the war heroes and the empire’s army will immediately deploy here.”
“Hmm~”
“So, I plan to convert all the dimensional gates first, then return here and start the great work.”
Paimon’s opinion was quite reasonable. With his and the legions’ strength, they could win even if human reinforcements arrived, but the precedents of Bune and Marchosias showed otherwise. There was a commonality in their defeats.
First, Bune had opened a dimensional gate, summoning himself to the Lintz Forest and his legion to the old city, planning to seize the academy amidst the chaos, but the gate itself was closed, and his plan failed.
And Marchosias’s case was similar. He had activated the magic tower to summon himself and his legion to occupy Mystic Island, but the tower was destroyed, the dimensional gate failed to open, and he gave the enemy time to react.
In other words, although it was a bit of a blow to their pride, if they couldn’t bring their subordinates… unexpected variables would arise.
Of course, this time, aware of this, it was different. Belial was a genius of human disguise… When he was in human form, he was not affected by the sanctuary, and no one would suspect him.
It had been a long time since Belial had been acting as the dean of the academy after the war. He could easily seal each magic tower. Paimon had no intention of showing his face until then, so unlike Bune, there was no risk.
“The last one is…”
…this central magic tower’s sanctuary. If they immediately corrupted this sanctuary with the power of three Great Demons, they could use it as a magic tower.
Yellody Latasia would take care of the Divine Hall, and the Great Demon accompanying him would occupy this one, and the situation would be over. Clarice Academy would be unable to receive any support or the sanctuary’s blessing.
“Kee-hyooot!”
The demon, Belial, who had been silently listening to Paimon’s scheme, began to laugh eerily in response.
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‘What should I do~.’
A black crow sat on top of the magic tower and yawned. Its true identity… the demon girl Yellody Latasia. She, who belonged to no one, was free even in the demon society, which was composed solely of familiars.
In a word, her location couldn’t be specified. Of course, she was currently bound to a junior named Lev Denek\c…
‘I’ve heard a lot…’
By the way, this was an emergency. To think that the head of Clarice was a pawn of a demon like herself. This was something even Yellody didn’t know…
‘A top secret~.’
So she had to choose. Should she trust Lev and go with him, or… hope for his death and be freed from being his familiar?
“Hmm… who to choose…~”
-Want a taste of my power?
“…”
At the sound of his voice, a shiver ran down her spine, and Yellody Latasia fled as if she were being chased.
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