Chapter 384 This is a bonus chapter from the donations
The threat of the Demon King could suddenly befall anyone. In fact, not long ago, Liana had lost her father to the Demon King's hands.
That event implanted a sense of crisis about the threat of the Demon King.
This is a great invention, but it poses an excessively significant threat to the Demon King.
So if it becomes known externally that such a remarkable invention has been created, the Demon King may target you all.
"The Demon King might target us, or perhaps even kidnap us to utilize us as they please."
Demon King.
Kidnap.
It reminds me of the Charlotte de Gardias incident.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I speak calmly, without a hint of jest, and with utmost seriousness.
"You all might be in danger because you've created something so extraordinary."
Although I had framed it as the threat of the Demon King, it was genuinely a threat from Cantus Magna.
"I see…"
Everyone was rejoicing at having achieved their goal, but I had thrown cold water on their celebration.
However, their expressions seemed to show that they had sobered up from the splash of cold water. These kids hadn't had the energy to worry about the consequences of the item they were only focused on creating and succeeding.
I, who knew nothing about magic, had contemplated and made a judgment about the current state of the continent.
Though it was a lie.
It was a decision made to protect the children.
"But if the Demon King attacks later, shouldn't the army and the mages become stronger with these two inventions...?"
Adelia timidly suggests as such.
There were others who agreed with her words.
These two powerful items would drastically enhance humanity's war capabilities. Instead of hiding in fear of the Demon King, it could be thought that humanity should become stronger through these inventions, and that this was the true righteous path.
A sense of justice for humanity could exist.
Since these items were for the peace of humanity, maybe we should accept the risks that come with it. That's another way to think about it.
"Alternatively, the Demon King's military might could also become stronger."
"…"
Rather, the Demon King could secretly exploit these items to enhance their military power and potentially kidnap you all.
At my words, Adelia hung her head with a crestfallen expression.
"Nothing is more precious than your lives."
I say, looking at everyone.
"Don't say that you can do anything if it's for defeating the Demon King. None of you need to die for something."
In the end, I end up making a clichéd statement that life is the best, even if you have to roll in a dung heap.
But what use is there if you're not alive?
Death can only achieve death.
I cherish Harriet and all the members of the Magic Research Society present here. I may not have cherished them all equally or with the same heart, but they are the ones who have followed my unreasonable demands with excessive diligence.
I cannot let them be harmed.
However, this is a good time to be intoxicated with a half-baked sense of mission.
With the massive threat of the Demon King to humanity looming closer every moment, we have the items that might save everyone in our hands.
It might sound excessively selfish to suggest sealing these items away.
"But... Reinhardt. If we reveal this, I don't know if it will cause another war, but... People might get hurt a little less."
Louis Ancton cautiously speaks.
Hiding this could be seen as a selfish act. He might even feel guilty.
It's not like the Demon King would necessarily try to kill or kidnap us.
"And if we request protection from the Temple or the Royal Family... Won't they protect us?"
It might not be dangerous. So, he might think that hiding such a thing due to their own safety concerns is a bad thing to do.
Louis Ancton is talented in academics, but he's originally a selfish guy. He feels frustrated with his own talent for not being able to use magic, and he's participating in the Magic Research Society thinking he might be able to do something there.
And, he's achieved something significant in the history of humanity.
It's not that Louis is frustrated that he couldn't announce it.
In the series of ensuing events, it seems like he's thinking this might help humanity.
Not to flaunt his own achievements and results, but because this is necessary for people. Even if it might become more dangerous, he wonders if that's not something they can bear.
Louis Ancton, too, had changed at some point during the series of events.
An interesting guy.
But just because he thinks that doesn't mean I can affirm his thoughts.
The Demon King is born.
The threat you face is not from the Demon King.
The kids are carefully watching my reaction.
They don't know when I might suddenly snap and curse them out.
Should I just do that? Telling them to just do as they're told?
What would happen if I did that?
But, this time, I didn't want to do that.
It would make their efforts meaningless.
"Let's not do it."
I beg everyone.
"Please."
I don't know how desperate my words felt to them.
"..."
In the end, Louis didn't say they had to do it.
—---
It was an unfair thing to do, but everyone eventually agreed to hide the results of their efforts. Ostensibly, it was to prepare for the threat of the Demon King, but my real intention was to hide this achievement from Cantus Magna.
It's also deceiving the patrons who provided substantial funds, but what can you do? Even if the research had been successful, there was never any money to return to them. It was a sponsorship, after all.
Christina agreed to hide the results for now.
"But, if there are no side effects, shouldn't we be able to give something like Moonshine to our friends?"
Everyone nodded their heads at that opinion.
Hiding what kind of drug it was, roughly claiming it was a similar kind of tonic, wouldn't it be okay to share with the close-combat major students?
Of course, from my perspective, that's both convenient and inconvenient.
If the gates cannot be stopped, it would be better for the overall level of those who will face them to rise.
But is it right to give Moonshine to the children?
They may end up fighting not the monsters of the gate, but me.
"Yes, I can do that much."
However, I have no reason to stop it from going that far.
In the end, we decided to hide the power cartridges and share Moonshine only if I, the first user, observed no side effects.
Christina was confident there would be no side effects, and I agreed, but it was right to keep an eye on it first.
Two days later.
We moved from the first-year dormitory to the second-year dormitory.
—---
It wasn't much of a move. We simply gathered our belongings and went upstairs, and even then, the Temple's servants moved everything for us. I didn't have much to carry, but for magic-major students, there were so many belongings that the servants had to come and go several times.
"We've moved up a floor."
"Indeed."
Nevertheless, moving up one floor brought a strong sense of becoming second-years.
Since the dormitory structure was almost the same for each grade, only moving up one floor didn't make much of a difference. The room numbers remained the same.
I was still in room A-11, and Ellen was in room A-2.
A-2 in the second year, to be precise.
It must have originally been Adriana's room. It had been vacant for quite some time.
“Ah, this goes here. Please put it here. No, not there, here.”
I heard Harriet talking about arranging things in her room, which was wide open. She seemed to have the most belongings among our classmates.
Ellen and I approached the railing of the second-floor main lobby.
We rarely had a chance to look down at the main lobby from the first floor, but now we would have many opportunities to do so.
"Nothing seems to have changed, but somehow it feels different."
Both Ellen and I seemed to share the same feeling of unease. In the first-floor main lobby below, we could see Ceres van Owen, a fifth-year student.
Now a sixth-year, Ceres van Owen.
I heard she reluctantly continued to serve as the student council president due to a lack of volunteers. Since royal class students are a small minority, there are rarely more than one or two candidates for the position.
Still, the student council president used to change in the second year, but Ceres ended up serving consecutive terms due to various changes. The butterfly effect may have played a role, but I'm not sure of the specifics.
Ellen seemed to be reminiscing as she looked at the student council president standing in the lobby.
The president was the first person to welcome her when she entered the Temple.
That meant.
"The first-years must be arriving today."
"I guess so."
As the seniors vacated their rooms, the first-year students would move into the dormitory before the end of the winter break. Ceres was talking to the boys and girls with fresh faces in the lobby, who seemed to have just arrived.
It was unlikely that they would all arrive today.
As Ellen and I leaned against the railing and gazed at the scene below, a voice came from behind us.
"What's going on? Are those our juniors?"
It was Liana de Grantz.
"It seems so."
"Hmm."
Liana glanced down at the new students below the railing, then turned her head away, seemingly disinterested.
"Let's go."
"Alright."
Both Cliffman and Liana were dressed in gym clothes, apparently more concerned with their own tasks than paying attention to the newcomers.
Still, under normal circumstances, they would have shown some interest.
Liana, now oblivious to everything except her own duties, left the dormitory with Cliffman through the first-floor lobby.
"..."
Ellen silently watched Liana's retreating figure.
I tapped Ellen's shoulder.
"We should get going, too."
We had to attend our training with Saviolin Turner. The time she had scheduled for us was fast approaching, and it was about time for us to gather at the second-year B-class training ground.
We had never been late before, and we weren't curious about what would happen if we disobeyed the Grandmaster's training assembly instructions.
Just as I was about to leave with Ellen.
"Among the new students, there seems to be a half-moon child."
At Ellen's words, I naturally shifted my gaze to the first-floor lobby.
And I couldn't help but widen my eyes.
"The hair color is unusual."
Silver hair.
A small child.
A silver-haired small child.
Lucinil calmly walked toward the Royal Class dormitory.
No.
Why is the Vampire Lord here?
I had no idea what was happening.
The Lord of Wednesday.
Lord Vampire Lucinil had somehow become a first-year student in the Temple Royal Class.
—---
I couldn't even ask about the sudden appearance of Lucinil as my junior. I couldn't possibly approach a first-year student I had just met.
I had no choice but to be restless, not knowing how the situation was unfolding.
I never imagined that Lucinil would take such an unexpected action. How did she pass through the Temple Gate? How did she obtain admission? How was her identity arranged?
"I arranged it as a talented individual I discovered."
Surprisingly, the answer came not from Lucinil but from Teacher Epinhauser, who sought me out.
"I regret not being able to inform you earlier, but it was a matter that was hastily agreed upon."
No.
It was absurd enough that Lucinil had become my junior, but why did I have to listen to an explanation from Teacher Epinhauser?
And from what he said, it seemed like he had admitted Lucinil to the Royal Class for the reason of being a talented individual he discovered. Was she acting as some sort of guardian?
"While discussing matters related to the dungeon, it was suggested that we should strengthen the protection around you."
"From our side?"
"Both parties agreed."
The Black Order and the Vampire Council must have had a discussion due to the issue with the dungeon's structure.
And so, both the Vampire Council and the Black Order decided to strengthen the protection of my person.
"We can do that."
Apparently, the Black Order decided to take action as well, as I could be in danger.
Somehow, it's touching, isn't it? But then again, I'm not sure if it's really a touching moment.
"Of course, there's the issue with Cantus Magna, but even without that, there are many situations where you could be in danger. Everyone agreed that we need to have someone nearby who can quickly extract you in times of crisis. And when it comes to a Lord Vampire, there's hardly any power to compare. Well, as long as it doesn't cause any inconvenience in daily life, there should be no problem disguising it as temple life."
To the Black Order, I am an important piece on the board, but my potential for growth is high, not that I am currently extremely skilled.
Cantus Magna is a problem, and if my identity is exposed, the temple itself will become an enemy. So the Black Order decided that someone who knows my truth should stay at the temple.
"How exactly did you enroll her?"
"Passing through the temple's search gate is not that difficult."
Epinhauser vouched for her identity and status, and barriers were no problem for Lucinil.
I knew that the temple's barrier and search system were not absolute, but it's surprising that a magician like Lucinil could easily come and go.
Of course, it's not that the temple's defenses are weak.
Lord Vampire is an overly powerful magician.
In the case of Eleris, there was no need to call her to the temple, and she has now left the empire.
With Eleris gone, Lucinil decided to come to the temple to help me, as the possibility of me being in danger increased.
Good.
Both the Black Order and the Council, and Lucinil, must have made such decisions because they think I shouldn't die.
Epinhauser also took a significant risk.
If Lucinil's true identity is revealed, Epinhauser would be implicated as well.
It's as if the patriotic Epinhauser brought the impure element of a Lord Vampire directly into the temple.
It means that my existence is considered so important within the Order now that Epinhauser would compromise his own values.
It's shocking that Epinhauser not only knew about Lucinil's enrollment but actually led it himself.
"Originally, it would be more convenient to send a magician from the Order, but since you can't trust them properly if they're one of us, reluctantly someone from your side had to enroll. Keep that in mind."
He allowed Lucinil to come because he wouldn't trust anyone from his own side.
The Black Order...
In fact, aren't they really good guys?
However, Aaron Mede's misdeeds lingered in my mind. Of course, those actions had nothing to do with the Order's instructions, but were merely personal transgressions.
—---
Lucinil's enrollment.
The reason was for my own safety. Still, it's a bit strange that they didn't ask me anything, considering I'm the boss.
Well.
I suppose it's fortunate they're treating me like the boss. After all, they're trying to protect me.
Of course, I heard the explanation from Professor Epinhauser after the fact, but I couldn't speak with Lucinil.
On the night when all the freshmen entered the dormitory, Ceres gathered them to announce notices and precautions.
Just as we had done in our first year, seniors crowded the railings to watch the first-years, and the second-years were no different.
There were some new faces among the main characters of the original work, but I wasn't interested in that.
There was one freshman who couldn't help but stand out.
A tiny silver-haired kid.
"Now, A-11, would you like to introduce yourself?"
"Lucinil!"
Seeing the old woman, who might have been hundreds or even a thousand years old, act like the youngest in the room and cheerfully shout her name.
“What's with her! She's so cute!”
“Let's go see her later!”
“Yeah, yeah!”
And it seemed like she was fully aware that people would find her cute, as she puffed out her chest with pride.
What should I say?
That.
It's infuriating, right?
—---
What on earth happened with the talent detector? What talent did she get admitted for?
Anyway, I have to talk to Lucinil.
If she came to the temple for my protection, then it's only natural to build a rapport with Lucinil and create a situation where it's not strange for us to be together.
I wasn't planning on paying attention to juniors, but a junior I couldn't help but notice has enrolled. She's not even a junior to begin with.
So.
"That... assembly... right?"
"Yes."
After the announcement was over, I stopped a first-year A-class junior who was about to leave and said that.
"Get all the first-years together at the training ground."
So.
I don't intend to scold him!
This is the only excuse I have to meet Lucinil!
The A-class dormitory training ground on the first floor, where I had returned immediately after moving.
I looked at the eleven first-year freshmen gathered in the training ground.
Even though I didn't order them to do so, they lined up neatly from number one onwards. Lucinil, number eleven, stood at the far left, staring intently at me.
With a look of great interest.
Lucinil seems to be a sort of additional enrollee, and considering that the original A-class freshmen, which had been ten, had now become eleven.
Inadvertently, because of me, there ended up being one more student than in the original work.
I didn't intend to scold them. I just wanted them to introduce themselves and move on.
"First of all, my name is Reinhardt, and I'm A-class number eleven in the second year..."
"Number eleven?"
As I was about to start my introduction, a guy standing at the far right cut me off.
"Are you the one who assembled us, number eleven?"
"…Huh?"
What did I just hear?
As I was doubting my ears, the guy standing at the far right tilted his head and began glaring at me.
That's right.
As it was in the original work, the A-class freshmen were made up of the most ill-mannered bunch. They didn't even treat B-class second year as seniors, which led to episodes of trouble between Ludwig and them.
Among them, first-year A-1.
His name is Roberto de Gardenia.
Heir to the Gardenia Kingdom and one of the top contenders for the most ill-mannered.
His talents were in the divine power series, related to magic power, and perhaps weapon skills.
As number one, it's natural for him to have a talent vending machine level.
"No matter if you're A-class. You're still just a stepping stone."
Roberto glared at me, maintaining his crooked posture, even crossing his arms.
No, how can anyone be so incredibly rude without any logical explanation?
It's my fault since I created him, but still.
Well.
"Even if you're my senior, please show some decency."
"Uh… Yeah."
I didn't assemble them to scold them.
"Do you, by any chance, want to get beaten until you pass out?"
He's really getting on my nerves.
