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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Dark clouds filled the sky, and angry flames flickered among the blackish rocks at the entrance to Death Valley, Area 4. This veiled interior of Mystic Island was unimaginable when I first arrived.
Princess Melissa de Prominence, staring at Kaelan’s back, was consumed by unease.
‘Something’s strange…’
It was only the second day of the exam, and they had already reached Area 4. The reason for their unimpeded progress was simple: they hadn’t encountered a single monster. Nor had they encountered any other students.
‘The Academy couldn’t have intended this…’ Sensing something amiss, Melissa’s anxiety grew, prompting the blond knight, Abelline Valantes, to ask, “What’s wrong, Miss Melissa?”
“Well… I’m just wondering if something went wrong with the selection exam.”
Halt.
“!!”
Kaelan, who hadn’t stopped once until now, came to a standstill.
“What do you mean, Melissa?”
“…”
He turned around for the first time that day and offered a faint smile. While it sent a chill down Melissa’s spine, it also strangely reassured her.
“We haven’t seen any other students or monsters on the way here… You know our evaluation scores depend on combat, Kaelan…”
“Hmm, that’s true. But didn’t they say there’s bonus points for the first party to reach Death Valley?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“My, you worry too much, Melissa. Actually, I can sense demons. So, I’ve been taking routes that avoid combat.”
“Oh, as expected of Sir Kaelan!”
“Well, I might have been a bit harsh yesterday… but I think we made it this far without any issues thanks to you two following me so well.”
“Sir Kaelan…”
Melissa managed a weak smile at Kaelan’s unexpected praise, but she couldn’t shake her unease.
Creak. Creak.
The surroundings exuded an eerie atmosphere, as if a piece of Pandemonium had been transplanted here.
“Shall we rest here for a bit?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I’m exhausted. You must have had it easy, Miss Melissa, with so little luggage.”
“…What? But I had to cast enchantment spells…!”
Observing the two women catching their breath on a rock, Kaelan muttered inwardly, ‘They’re such a pain…’
Soon, both of them would become demons. Or rather, they had two choices: be killed by him, or become demons.
‘Well, their vessels aren’t bad.’
They were daughters of influential families within the Empire. Turning them into his subordinates would cause significant internal conflict on the human side. So… to allay their suspicions, he had to be patient and comforting for a little while longer.
Kaelan handed them water bottles.
“We all need high scores on this exam, right?”
“Yes. I can’t fail, for the sake of the Principality.”
“Me neither. I was scolded by my father, the head of the family… I can’t be a burden to my older brothers anymore!”
“So let’s all do our best.”
“Right, we have to…!”
“Alright!”
‘Heh. Foolish girls.’
They were so easy to manipulate. People blinded by a single goal often failed to see their surroundings.
‘Should I take care of this dimwitted knight now, too?’
Kaelan placed his hand on Abelline’s shoulder and looked down at her.
“Come to think of it, Abelline, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Remember the contract we made with Melissa yesterday…”
At that moment…
Clank. Clank.
A Guardian of the Academy, their heavy armor clanging with each step, appeared in the darkness, accompanied by Violet, the Head of the Archery Department.
“How… how did you get here?”
“…”
“Lady Violet!”
Relief washed over Melissa’s face. As Kaelan remained silent, the tall male Guardian addressed him in a low voice.
“Unfortunately, the selection exam has been suspended. We’ll be waiting here until the Academy sends further instructions, so please cooperate.”
“What? The exam is suspended…?”
“Sir Kaelan…?” Melissa and Abelline turned to Kaelan.
“…” As their gazes met, the red-haired man vanished.
Whoosh!
“!!!”
A black vortex suddenly erupted.
“Wh-What?!”
“?!”
Thud. The inexplicable phenomenon happened in an instant.
“??”
When everything returned to normal…
“What nonsense.”
“Ugh… ah… ugh…”
Collapse. As soon as Kaelan finished speaking, the Guardian’s head fell to the ground.
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The black mana that erupted from the Cerberus’s demise hadn’t fully dissipated when I reunited with Liris.
Liris Larochelle. The early-game villain of Reincarnation Academy. The one who tried to turn me into a husk using the Elixir of Demonic Whispers.
‘The reason for the existence of the third-rate villain Lev Denec…’
According to the setting, it was to trigger Edwin’s Executor awakening. Of course, thanks to her, I was able to defeat Andras, absorb his power, and grow rapidly.
‘Liris…’
According to the original Reincarnation Hero storyline, Liris profited from backdoor deals with the student council, until Edwin exposed her corruption. She was expelled, abandoned by Kaelan, and weakened both physically and mentally. Driven by revenge against Edwin, she mind-controlled Aria, only to be taught another lesson by Edwin.
Then, as Liris, believing she had lost everything, contemplated ending her life, Edwin offered her a helping hand. In this episode, Liris was supposed to be moved by Edwin and forge the holy sword for him. A villain initially, but ultimately a supporting character who helped Edwin.
‘That would have been the case originally…’
But my intervention changed the story. She used the mind control meant for Aria on me, and I exploited it to breeze through Trial 2. This severed the connection between her and Edwin.
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“Tell me.”
Time was of the essence, so I urged her to get to the point. Liris smiled and put a finger to her lips.
“Hmm~, actually, I don’t have anything to say to you, Junior…”
“?”
She pointed behind me.
“I want to talk to that child.”
“…!”
She was pointing at Aria, not me.
‘I thought she’d be angry about being tricked…’
This was unexpected. She had been obsessed with me because she believed I was a demon. I assumed she’d come to confront me, suspicious of how I, a supposed demon, had defeated the Cerberus.
Knowing the original storyline between Aria and Liris, I subtly offered an alternative.
“Why not talk to me? You have a lot of questions, don’t you?”
“Well… not really. I just thought our cute, virgin Junior might have something she’s curious about, so I made the offer.”
“…”
When I didn’t respond, Liris nodded and continued, “Fine. If you don’t want to hear anything, I’ll just take my leave…”
“…I’ll listen.”
“…!”
It was Aria who appeared between us.
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Aria remembered the relationship between Lev Denec and Liris Larochelle.
Initially, she was the student council president, and he was a temporary member. After Lev lost his duel against Edwin, the student council expelled him, seemingly ending their connection. What followed was unforgettable.
Lev Denec, already a delinquent, became half-mad, hitting on female students and eventually confessing to both Melissa and Aria.
The situation changed after the confession incident. Liris, who held the upper hand, suddenly appeared before Lev and pleaded, “Save me… Turn me into a demon…”
Slap!
“Snap out of it!”
Lev responded by slapping her and telling her to get a grip. That was all Aria had seen.
‘But why me…?’
Her only direct interaction with Liris was when she answered Liris’s question about the classroom.
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“This should be far enough.”
Liris brought Aria some distance away from the group. The remaining students were quietly gathering their belongings, resembling a wartime evacuation.
“…You said you had something to tell me?”
“There’s no need to be so guarded, Junior.”
Liris smiled and whispered, “Do you trust Lev Denec?”
“…”
Given the current situation, the question was difficult to answer. If she fully trusted him, there wouldn’t be a need for a monitoring spell. Besides, she had a bad feeling about this woman. Aria considered her response and gave a noncommittal answer.
“I don’t think I’m obligated to answer that.”
“Oh? That’s unexpected. I thought our cute Junior would naturally trust Lev…”
“Lev and I are in the same party. I believe that answers your question sufficiently.”
“How cold~.”
“I’m not interested in your attempts to sow discord…”
Liris circled Aria before saying, “You’re right. It is an attempt to sow discord.”
“What?”
“Don’t trust him completely.”
“…”
“I was deceived.”
“Deceived… by Lev?”
“Yes. I thought he was a demon who would take me in…”
Liris hugged herself, exhaling a hot breath, then her expression turned serious. “I… regret not choosing Kaelan Heath.”
“…”
It wasn’t surprising that Lev Denec was suspected of being a demon. Selena had warned Aria about it. Deciding there was no need for further conversation, Aria turned to leave.
“If you’ve said all you wanted to say, I’ll excuse myself.”
“Wait…!”
Liris stopped Aria and offered her something from her bosom.
“Here, I’ll give you this.”
“…?”
It was a small dagger. A slightly curved dagger, shaped like a black feather. While not ornate, even someone unfamiliar with swords could sense it was no ordinary weapon. It emanated a subtle black aura, a jet-black dagger that felt dangerous to touch.
Aria frowned slightly and asked, “I’m a priestess. I have no use for such weapons…”
“You will find a use for it.”
“…I don’t understand what you mean.”
Liris clicked her tongue inwardly.
‘She’s so uptight, probably because she’s a virgin.’
This was for her own good, why was she being so resistant? As far as Liris was concerned, Lev Denec… as she’d seen in the recent battle… had become too powerful.
While she yearned for revenge, she couldn’t act on it. But this cute girl might be able to. Aria Bluebell. She was the only one in the party who didn’t fully trust Lev Denec.
‘Junior Lev interfered with my plans too… So, in my stead, you kill him.’
Looking at Aria’s still hesitant expression, Liris revealed something she’d noticed.
“Cute Junior, you placed a monitoring spell on Lev, didn’t you?”
“!”
Aria’s eyes widened in surprise. Liris had discovered it by chance. She wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for the detection scroll she’d pilfered from that Heisman idiot and her own sharp mana sensing abilities.
Thump.
Seizing the opportunity, Liris pressed the dagger into Aria’s hand.
“I hope you never have to use it.”
“…”
“Senior Liris! We should head back soon!” Dylan’s voice called from afar, and Liris patted Aria’s hand gently.
“If you truly trust him, that is.”
With those words, Liris turned and walked away with a light step.
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