Episode 153
Since when was Dean Alderson a puppet?
From the moment we first met?
Or is there something that has happened over the past few days?
You never know.
There may be personal circumstances that I don’t know about.
For example, if a doll with a clone of one’s memory was prepared for efficient division of labor, I would be making the biggest fuss of all time.
– The circuit of hope explodes!
‘… A plague.’
The sudden thought of the third execution brought me to my senses.
Then I put aside wishful thinking and faced reality.
“Are you okay?”
Dean Alderson asked in a worried tone.
At that moment, I felt like I shouldn’t reveal any of the information I got from the Academy.
Especially when it comes to the Demon King of the Blood Moon.
“Luan Youngdo?”
Dean Alderson’s expression becomes strange.
Does the doll even copy the thinking skills of the original?
In that case, the person I need to fool around with now is the Archmage.
It seems like you already feel a bit out of place, which means you need to choose your words carefully from now on.
I opened my mouth in a somewhat sluggish tone.
“… “I met Professor Alec.”
It will be too late if you organize it in your head and then spit it out.
You should organize your thoughts as you speak, but your attitude should not be awkward.
I kept a calm tone on the outside, spinning my brain so tightly that steam was coming out of my head.
“And I saw a picture of Yeongsan.”
“Ho… … . “It seems Professor Alec came out more docilely than I thought.”
“He didn’t seem to be in his right mind. The attitude and tone were calm, but the content of the lecture was full of madness. They even talked about the destruction of the empire. “It’s a dangerous idea for a professor to harbor, so why aren’t they fired?”
I shot back in a slightly angry voice.
I’m sorry Professor Alec, but I had no other excuse to bring it up.
Alderson looked at me with strange eyes and said.
“Is that what you called me to say?”
“That’s right.”
“… Hmm. Then why did you ask me to call you Leone?”
I thought I would ask that.
Fortunately, there was an excuse that came to mind just before that.
“In the picture Professor Alec showed me, there was a black sun. A solar eclipse is a precursor to the coming of the Demon King, which means that the entire demon world is the Demon King’s domain. “I think Leone would know more details.”
Alderson looked at Evan.
“What about Yeongdo?”
Wasn’t he brought here because he was suspected of being a small religious leader? It seems like there is a hidden story behind it.
I shook my head.
“Evan is a trusted colleague and friend. “He showed excellent results at the retreat, and if nothing else happens, we plan to join Heros in the future.”
“indeed… … . “Is this the stage where we put our hands and feet together in advance?”
I nodded.
I could feel Alderson’s eyes scanning Leone and Evan.
Fortunately, these two guys were talented people that even I found it difficult to read their inner thoughts.
Leone kept a smiling face, and Evan naturally lowered his head when their eyes met.
Am I convinced?
Did I decide to move on for now?
Alderson said vaguely.
“As you said, Professor Alec’s ideas are somewhat radical. But he’s not crazy, and he’s definitely not a dreamer. The academy needs talent with diverse values. “The most important thing in education is to create an environment that prevents the formation of biased values.”
On the other hand, I don’t think it means being a teacher… … .
It seems to mean developing insight by looking at various groups.
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous? “It may be rude, but he could be a spy for the church.”
I thought it would be strange not to mention it all along, so I mentioned the denomination first.
At this point, I closely observed Alderson’s expression, but there was no significant change.
According to Leone… … .
Dean Alderson ‘does not know that he is a doll.’
So, a question arises here.
Where is the real Alderson?
Could it be that he is already dead?
Alderson Marvour, one of the Seven Grand Wizards of the Empire?
“That can’t be possible. Alec is not a church member. “I will definitely guarantee that much.”
“… … .”
Normally, I would have understood it the moment I heard that, or at least felt a sense of trust.
These were none other than the words of the Archmage.
Now, it’s a bit significant.
Suddenly a thought occurred to me.
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If Alderson was attacked by the devil, when would that happen?
‘… … .’
Suddenly I realized that I had missed one important fact.
Now that I think about it, I didn’t know.
Even when exactly the Demon King descended.
* * *
After talking without raising suspicion, we left the pagoda.
Leone didn’t say anything, but just before leaving, he looked at me and said,
– Let’s finish everything and see you next time.
It was a meaningful statement, but I had a lot to think about, so I decided to forget about it.
Anyway, I had no intention of meeting Leone for the time being.
I reflected on the current situation and thought about it, but the conclusion did not really change.
‘It’s really f*cked up.’
The more I think about it, the more it seems to be more, not less, than the retreat where the Nine descended.
“You understand now, right?”
Evan, who had been following without saying a word, spoke when there were few people around.
“Why is the Academy already half-finished?”
“Did you know?”
“To some extent. “I didn’t know that even Dean Alderson would be attacked.”
“… … .”
“I told you, right? “You won’t be able to escape the academy.”
While I was thinking about what to say, I happened to see a bench under a streetlight.
“Shall we sit down for a bit?”
“good.”
We sat on the bench.
Of course, they didn’t sit next to each other, but were seated at the end as if they were facing a wall.
It was a bit comical, but… … .
Suddenly, it occurred to me that my current relationship with Evan was similar to mine.
You can sit on the same bench and talk, but it is a relationship that is somewhat distant from being called a friend.
I asked in a muttering tone.
“Is Dean Alderson really dead?”
“well. I don’t know about that either. Still, it may not be possible to move around.”
“No way would I have thought that the Great Wizard of Seven Colors had already been defeated by the Demon King.”
“Because the opponent is the devil. “It’s not just impossible.”
“… “Sacrifice.”
I remembered that word.
The biggest question was how the devil was summoned without a sacrifice.
That question was also resolved.
“The absence of a human sacrifice was replaced with a doll.”
Dean Alderson’s doll is difficult to distinguish from a human.
It can handle not only memories, habits, and actions, but also mana, so in a sense, it is a complete imitation.
Evan smiled slightly and responded.
“All students attending the academy climb the [Tower of Asceticism]. “In theory, Dean Alderson could make dolls of all the students.”
Of course, the dean said that making such a doll would take quite a bit of time… … .
If you are a senior student who has been attending the academy for more than 3 years, you may be able to meet the deadline.
“Even so, it is not an easy task. “There will be people you share a room with, and there will inevitably be a few moments where you feel uncomfortable.”
“Ghost stories may have been spread to cover it up. “You probably heard all the nonsense going around in the research building, right?”
I got a little goosebumps.
If he can create even a mere rumor as he pleases, isn’t it no different from the devil controlling the entire Cartel Academy?
Suddenly, I burst into laughter.
I came to find out about the Demonic Gyeong, and this was the Magical Gyeong.
“The situation is too messy for just the two of us to overcome it.”
“It’s literally hitting a rock with an egg. However, it is not easy to find collaborators. “Of course, it would be impossible to leave the academy, and as far as I know, anyone who leaves or contacts the academy must receive permission from the faculty.”
“The dean is a puppet, so the faculty can’t be trusted?”
“that’s right.”
Evan said while looking at me.
“… So Luan, let’s just kill the prince and princess? lets think. If two members of the royal family die, the imperial family will intervene without us having to call them. It’s most certainly a way to call in reinforcements. Even if you take it out, the situation will be a mess, so it becomes easier to move secretly.”
“… … .”
Am I starting to lose my mind too?
Slowly, Evan’s plan to murder the royal family begins to sound plausible.
“no.”
Even so, I shook my head.
“First, let’s secure trustworthy guys one by one.”
“how? You probably don’t want to check each and every one to see if they are dolls or not. “It would take too long, and our intentions might be discovered.”
I agree with that.
I glanced at Evan and said.
“Of course Dean Alderson’s doll is of a great standard, but I already confirmed it when I climbed the Tower of Asceticism.”
“what?”
“It’s our [Great Family’s] specialty that even that great doll can’t imitate.”
“uh… … .”
Evan said.
“God protection?”
Then he tilted his head.
“Then are you going to share the current situation with the other Youngdo guys?”
“I have to hide things about you and tell you everything else. “Rather than informing everyone at once, I plan to involve people one by one.”
“The risk of being stepped on will increase.”
“know. “But the current situation is a battle of speed anyway.”
I looked up at the sky.
At that moment, the moon, which had been hidden by clouds, was revealed.
It looks a little fatter than a half moon.
“Eight days until the full moon. “Let’s compete before then.”
* * *
I returned to my dorm room.
When I opened the door, I saw Hector, who seemed to have returned earlier than usual today.
Even his face is in better condition than when I saw him before.
I talked about everything.
“Brother, would you like to see me for a moment?”
“What’s going on?”
Anyway, Hector is a great power.
It seemed like it didn’t meet Evan’s standards, but I think differently.
Hector and Charon are talents that are worthy of being put into actual combat right away.
“How many blessings did your brother have in total?”
“There are 8… … . Why is that suddenly?”
“Can you show me something?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I’m glad.”
If he refused, I would use sparring as an excuse to drag him out, and then try to force him to look at Gaho.
“… … ?”
Hector trembled, but then he looked at me and spoke.
“Most of my blessings are focused on physical training, so in the current situation, all I can show is… “That’s about it.”
Hector pulled out his sword slightly and put pressure on the palm holding the hilt.
Cheaeng!
At that moment, the number of blades increased briefly.
“Isn’t it cool? “What kind of blessing is this?”
“It is the blessing of replication. “It’s nothing grand, and you can clone things for a while.”
“Do you think it’s grand enough?”
“Not really. The duration is short, and the durability is much worse than the main body… … . “It’s also difficult to apply during battle.”
“Still, it looks like a good match with my brother’s Remnant Sword.”
Hector nodded.
“right. So recently, I’ve been researching ways to naturally go in that direction.”
“aha.”
I roughly agreed and thought.
The minimum verification work has been completed.
Since I could use divine protection and even felt breathing, the Hector in front of me was definitely not a doll.
“I have something to tell you.”
“what?”
“Brother, do you know what happens at this academy?”
“… … .”
Hector looked at me with surprised eyes, and seeing his face made me feel a little embarrassed too.
The expression on his face was not “What are you talking about?” but “How could you…?” … .” That’s because it feels the same.
“Do you even know something?”
“Yes, but… “First of all, I want to hear your story.”
I decided to do it for now.
The sense of discomfort felt at the academy, the two royal family members acting suspiciously, rumors about the research building, and even the identity of Dean Alderson were all revealed.
The only thing they didn’t say was Evan’s identity, and naturally they also hid the information he had given – the fact that the Demon King had already been summoned.
“… hmm.”
As expected, Hector was not surprised.
It seemed like the situation was perceived as more serious than expected.
“I know what you mean. I never thought things would have progressed that far… … .”
“Surely you knew too?”
“… “The current academy is a dangerous place.”
Hector looked at me with serious eyes.
“Luan, you brought this up to ask for my help, right?”
“that’s right.”
“Then can you come with me to see someone right now? I will bet on my name. “He’s trustworthy, and he knows a lot more about this than we do.”
“who?”
If you take Youngdo out of the picture right now, there won’t be anyone you can trust or even help you with.
I was skeptical about Hector’s words, but the moment I heard the name this guy mentioned, I had no choice but to change my mind.
“Barter Goodspring. “He might be able to help us.”
fantasy,
