"So, it's finally today."
"You again! Aint Armian!"
Berian charged. Aint calmly met his onslaught.
Since his defeat, Berian had trained relentlessly, grinding his teeth in frustration. The tip of his sword had become even sharper.
A fierce exchange followed.
But the outcome was already decided. Aint wasn't the kind of opponent to lose to someone he had already bested once.
Especially not with the greatest teacher, Gardener Alpenfarsen, by his side.
"I don't particularly hold a grudge against you."
Aint's sword slashed Berian. Berian's guidance light burned out.
"It's over…"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Yet the instructors didn't appear, and Berian refused to admit defeat.
— A disgrace who's forgotten chivalry. Kill him. If he lives, he'll bring shame to the honor of knights.
"I can't do that."
— Then knock him out. Leave him and the instructors will drag him off.
Aint, leaving the fallen Berian behind, did not know—That the demonic energy, slowly beginning to slither out, had started to consume Berian's body and mind.
At the break of dawn, Fernand greeted the morning with a headache.
After a light tea time, he made his way to the Academy branch of the Golden Turtle Trading Company.
"Milord, you've arrived."
"Milord."
He brushed off the staff's greetings and headed toward the warehouse.
Opening one of the many large storage units, he stepped inside, opened his personal subspace, and began sweeping items into it.
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing for contingencies."
"…Are you going off to war or something?"
Ignoring the remark, Fernand kept packing his subspace until it was stuffed full. Empty spots began to appear throughout the vast warehouse.
"Hyde, when did you get here?"
"When you entered the warehouse."
Hyde replied.
"What about Berian?"
"You told me to report first thing in the morning, didn't you?"
"And? Berian?"
"Still no unusual behavior."
"Still?"
"Yes."
"That's a bit troubling."
Hyde had no reason to lie to him. Although something felt off, Fernand had no choice but to accept it.
'Then there are only two possibilities.'
Either the demon didn't exist, contrary to the prophecy—
"…Or your abilities were lacking."
"That's the first time I've heard that in my life."
Hyde replied with a straight face.
"I don't know what it is, but I offer this thought: Perhaps your suspicions are just that—suspicions."
"In short, you're saying I'm delusional."
"I didn't mean that. Besides, I don't even know why you ordered me to monitor Berian Kalburden in the first place."
Of course he didn't—Fernand hadn't explained clearly.
Even if he tried to reason it out, without knowing that Berian was supposed to fall to a demon in the future, there was no way to draw a logical conclusion.
'Right, that's how the world works.'
Things rarely go smoothly. Especially when it came to demons that hadn't appeared in over a thousand years.
"Anyway, there's something more urgent right now."
Fernand closed his now full subspace and replied.
"I'm heading off to supervise the midterms."
"First years again?"
"Yeah."
"Do you really have to go that far for Aint Armian? I don't quite understand."
"I'll explain everything once this is over."
If Berian truly had become a demon's pawn, he could gather proof. If not, then the prophecy was false—and he could convince Hyde accordingly.
"I trust you… but do you have to go this time?"
"Why?"
"Because I can't go with you."
"…What do you mean?"
Fernand's eyes widened at the completely unexpected response.
"A letter arrived from the family."
Hyde handed him a letter with the seal already broken. Fernand checked it and clicked his tongue.
"A summons from Father."
"Yes."
"Ugh... Why now, of all times?"
"Yes."
This was bad.
He was on his way to personally confirm the demon with his own eyes. There was no telling what variables or dangers might be lurking, so he had tried to prepare as much as possible.
In that sense, an escort wasn't a choice—it was a necessity.
After a moment's thought, Fernand gave a nod.
"It can't be helped. Go, I'll take someone else with me."
"Someone else?"
Fernand tore off a piece of paper from a stack in the corner of the warehouse and scribbled something down.
"Deliver this to Ruina Berchef. As quickly as possible."
Fortunately, he still had another card to play.
"What is this about so early in the morning?"
After leaving the trading company, Fernand entered a café. It was operated by the company. When he opened the door to a private room, Ruina was already waiting, having come in response to his message.
"I'll get straight to the point—we don't have much time. A rare elixir has been discovered in the northwestern mountains."
"An elixir?"
"It's comparable to the Mandragora you took. I intend to harvest it."
At the mention of Mandragora, Ruina's eyes widened.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"I want to ask you to escort me. When harvesting an elixir, I won't be in any state to watch my surroundings."
Ruina tilted her head at his words.
"…But the western side of the mountains is where the first-year knight students are holding their midterm exams right now. The area should be restricted, no?"
"There's nothing in this world money can't solve."
"…You say that like bribery is something to be proud of."
She shot Fernand a scornful glare.
"Who was it? Actually, I don't even need to ask. Professor Grad. I can't believe he accepted a bribe and allowed someone to trespass into an exam site…"
"That's not what matters right now."
"How is that not what matters?"
Fernand brought up a fake elixir because he knew her personality well.
Rather than barging into the exam site without reason, it was better to claim a clear intent—one that wasn't meant to harm anyone.
"I'll just collect the elixir and leave. If you're escorting me, there won't be any need to cause trouble."
"Does it really have to be today?"
"It's a rare elixir. What if someone else finds it today?"
"One day late—"
"Even being a minute late can mean losing claim to a plant."
And once he had brought her along, all he had to do was engineer an encounter with the demon.
Ruina Berchef was someone who believed in upholding justice and protecting the weak—a model knight, in every sense of the word.
So if she came face-to-face with a real demon?
If she realized she had to fight it?
What would she do? Stand by and watch—or act?
And would she, perhaps, become more cooperative with Fernand, who was trying to stop the demons?
'Even if the prophecy's credibility has dipped slightly, the fact remains—it warned of demons engulfing the entire continent in chaos.'
This wasn't a threat one person or one household could stop alone.
He needed allies.
Sure, Aint Armian might end up stopping the demon anyway. But now that he was aware his own actions could change the future, he had to prepare for every possible outcome.
He had to be ready for the butterfly effect of a shifted destiny.
"In that sense, you're quite suitable."
The second-ranked student at the academy, daughter of a former elector family slowly regaining its strength—even if that strength had once collapsed.
And the prophecy, still largely accurate, had designated her as a future Royal Knight, despite a few cracks in its credibility.
She was the ideal helper.
Originally, he had only planned to show her the evidence, but now that Hyde had been called away, he had no choice but to bring her along as an escort and let her see it for herself.
"…What's that supposed to mean, all of a sudden?"
"It means I'm counting on you to be my escort."
"I never said I would."
Ruina's brow furrowed.
"Why should I? I'm busy with midterms myself."
"You ate the Mandragora root, didn't you?"
Her aura was clearly different from before. She still hadn't fully digested the elixir's energy—it felt wild and unrestrained.
"…How long do you think you can keep using that against me?"
"This is only the second time. And the last."
"Even so, sneaking into the exam site is a bit too much…"
As she hesitated, Fernand spoke up again. He hadn't planned to rely on just words to persuade her.
"I'm going to visit my family over the break. I'm thinking of bringing up the matter of the Berchef family to my father."
"…Are you blackmailing me right now?"
"No. It's a proposal. If you help me, maybe your family's interest rates won't go up after graduation."
"You think that's going to—"
"I believe I've earned a decent amount of trust by now."
"Still…"
"Who knows how many years earlier your family's restoration could come."
Ruina grabbed his hand.
The first-year midterm exams were nothing out of the ordinary.
Just like the second-years had done not long ago, the students showcased their skills in the northern mountain range.
The difference this time was that it wasn't a paired test—it was conducted by the knight department alone. It lasted two days. And it wasn't just practical training—it was a real exam.
In the thick forests of the mountains, a young man and woman moved quietly.
"Suppress your presence as much as possible. Don't let the professors or instructors detect you."
The man, Fernand, spoke while wearing a stealth cloak that masked his presence and energy.
"Didn't you say you bribed Professor Grad?"
"Just because I bribed him doesn't mean I can walk around out in the open."
"At least you're aware this is problematic. That's something."
Ruina, also wearing a stealth cloak, let out a soft sigh.
"So where are we going?"
"Hold on."
Fernand pulled a map from his coat. Dots in red and blue moved around it.
"According to this map…"
"…That's a professor's map, isn't it?"
"Correct. I received it alongside strict instructions not to bump into any instructors or other students."
"…Sigh. Professor Grad. I'm not even surprised anymore."
No, she murmured, maybe sneaking them in like this was the best option.
Fernand acted as if everything was going smoothly as he scanned for a number. The dot labeled 38 was him.
"Hoo."
He spotted a nearby dot marked with a 2 and his eyes lit up.
"This way. Let's go."
"Yes. And we're really just collecting the elixir and leaving immediately."
"Obviously."
"It doesn't sound obvious when you're the one saying it."
The two headed swiftly into the mountains. Monsters reeking of stench appeared, but thanks to suppressing their presence and the help of artifacts, they managed to avoid them.
Thanks to the map, they also avoided any encounters with students or instructors.
The unexpected happened when they reached the central region of the mountain range.
───!
──!
Roars and cries of monsters erupted from all directions.
A sinister energy began to spread through the area.
Dots on the map scrambled around frantically, and students' screams echoed through the forest.
"…What is this?"
Ruina, alarmed, drew her sword.
Before them stood a troll, its eyes bloodshot and nostrils flaring.
Its bulging veins and muscles, along with the drool spilling from its mouth, made it clear this was not a normal state.
─!
Sword met club. Ruina's glowing blue aura blade split the club in a single stroke.
Yet the troll, even without its weapon, didn't falter. Eyes rolling wildly, it threw a punch.
BOOM!
A crater formed on the ground. Debris exploded in every direction.
At the same time, stone spears shot out from all sides, piercing the troll—but it didn't react.
Even with spears in its back, it charged at Ruina, intent on killing her.
It smashed through trees with its body. Even when its arm was severed by her sword, it didn't stop.
It was pure madness.
"What is this thing?!"
"Berserk state. Be careful! Trolls in that condition don't feel pain—you have to decapitate it completely to kill it."
Berserk monsters were utterly different from regular ones. They burned through their lifeforce in an all-out frenzy—each one a deadly challenge.
This was an anomaly serious enough to warrant halting the exam immediately.
Fernand hadn't expected the monster to instinctively pierce through the stealth artifact—but he stayed calm.
'So it's begun.'
Because he knew—this was exactly the event foretold in the prophecy.
'Even with no contact between Berian and demons, the monster wave still occurs, huh?'
He scoffed to himself.
No need to play games anymore—how ridiculous.
With a smirk, Fernand began casting a spell.
First, he needed to get rid of this tenacious brute.