While the Liberation Army members, now freshmen, held a celebratory feast after the successful Headmaster Appointment Ceremony—
Julian was looking around the Headmaster’s Office, which had been restored to its original appearance.
“Inhale.”
Standing before the desk in the center of the Headmaster’s Office, he ran his hand over its smooth surface, polished by age, and breathed in deeply.
“Is this the air of authority?”
“……That sounds rather strange coming from you, Your Highness.”
Theodore looked bewildered, but he did not argue at length. After all, he had witnessed everything Julian had gone through to obtain this position.
“Inha…… Cough! Cough!”
“Your Highness! Are you unwell?”
“No, cough. We need to wipe away the dust in here first.”
Theodore breathed a sigh of relief.
“Whew. I thought the demons had scattered poison in here. I will summon Slave and order him to polish everything until it shines.”
Julian nodded in satisfaction and sat in the Headmaster’s chair. The old chair’s cushions had gone flat, yet it had never felt so comfortable.
“Heh heh…….”
“Your Highness, you have finally become the Headmaster, but…….”
“I have become the Headmaster, but what?”
“Your laughter sounds rather villainous.”
Unperturbed, Julian continued chuckling and said,
“Call me Headmaster now, not Your Highness. The Headmaster who hunts demons. Does that not sound good?”
“It does.”
“Put some feeling into it. Some feeling.”
“I merely hope that you will not run at the front of every demon subjugation campaign, Headmaster…….”
“No, I do not want that either.”
“…….”
“I am serious. I am going to sit right here in this Headmaster’s chair and handle nothing but paperwork.”
Theodore asked suspiciously,
“Do you truly believe that will be possible?”
“Will paperwork alone not keep me busy for some time? Now that the Magical Defense Barrier has begun operating around the Main Building, we need to gather information before attacking the nearby buildings and……”
“Master, something terrible has happened, sir!”
Julian’s rare moment of sentimentality was interrupted. He stared at Arthur Blanco, who had burst through the door.
“Whew…… What is it?”
“Th-The feast downstairs is almost over, so I was going to begin cleaning up, sir…….”
Slave’s voice trembled.
“It appears that we are about to run out of food, sir!”
“!”
Julian whipped his head toward Theodore.
“Was that a prophecy?”
“Pardon?”
“When I said I would do nothing but paperwork, you asked whether that would be possible.”
Theodore sighed in disbelief.
“Think back upon everything you have done until now, Your Highness—no, Headmaster. Why else would I have considered carrying you on my back and chaining you down?”
“What? You actually considered that? Do you not think you are being excessively overprotective?”
“Place your hand over your heart before saying that!”
Julian insisted there was nothing wrong with his conscience, while Theodore argued that Julian’s compulsion to act resembled a flying squirrel leaping from the edge of a cliff. After bickering for some time, the two finally calmed down and clutched their heads.
Julian lamented.
“Damn it. What is the God of Light doing, not warning me about things like this?”
“Headmaster, I am a Holy Knight. Even coming from you, blasphemy is somewhat……”
“I am Barnabas, the Child of Prophecy. Is that enough?”
Slave Arthur Blanco could no longer bear to watch the two sovereign and retainer figures bicker, so he lowered his head.
‘Is that truly an argument befitting the prince with the strongest Divine Power in the Empire and the Deputy Commander of the Order of Holy Knights, who serves the Wielder of the Holy Sword?’
Could the future of the Empire and the Temple truly be entrusted to them?
While Slave suffered inwardly, Julian regained his composure. He asked sharply,
“We prepared enough food to last a month. Why has this happened?”
“The dragon has an exceptional appetite, sir…….”
“The hatchling certainly eats well.”
Julian pressed a hand to his forehead at their simultaneous answers.
‘I cannot exactly throw that lizard outside!’
His face, which had been glowing with joy, turned haggard in an instant. Theodore spoke after seeing his sunken expression.
“Your High—Headmaster, do not trouble yourself excessively. The Holy Knights can endure approximately a week without food through the power of faith.”
“……Will you not lose all your muscle?”
“We can rebuild it through training.”
“…….”
Slave, who had been watching for an opportunity to speak, joined in.
“That is correct, Master. If the Mages begin training while resonating with the dragon, they will not feel hunger either, sir.”
“There are mercenaries among the freshmen as well.”
Theodore answered Julian.
“If you bestow Divine Power upon the mercenaries approximately once a day, they will claim that their bodies have become healthier.”
“Damn it all.”
Julian tore at his hair.
“I am in no position to criticize the demons in the Magic Building and Welfare Building for starving their students! At this rate, the Main Building will become a paradise of brainwashing and performance-enhancing Divine Power!”
He had to do something.
His thoughts spun rapidly.
‘We need to open a route.’
There was only one way to obtain food they did not possess.
They needed to secure a supply route connected to the outside.
Julian placed his hands on the Headmaster’s desk and looked at his subordinates.
“Should we attack the Welfare Building immediately?”
The Welfare Building stood directly beside them.
It contained a Transportation Magic Circle owned by the Imperial Bank. Since it connected to an area outside the Academy, securing it would allow them to receive supplies from the Empire.
Slave Arthur Blanco spoke cautiously.
“There appears to be a problem with the Welfare Building, sir.”
“Is there a greater problem than the fact that demons occupy it?”
“I-I heard that there are three demons inside the Welfare Building, sir.”
“…….”
Both Julian and Theodore fell silent. Slave continued.
“Furthermore, they appear to be divided into separate factions, sir. Different demons seem to control the shops, the bank, and the cafeterias.”
“They certainly know how to make matters complicated…….”
Julian clicked his tongue and considered the situation.
“It is still better than having them completely united. What do you think? Could we interfere in the demons’ conflict and seize the Magic Circle?”
“Is there any need to take such a risk? We should open a secure route to the main gate instead.”
Theodore continued.
“I believe that if we reclaim the dormitory, the Magical Defense Barrier will extend to the main gate. Unlike the Magic Circle in the Welfare Building, that would also allow us to bring in additional troops.”
As expected of the Deputy Commander of the Order of Holy Knights, Theodore appeared particularly interested in securing reinforcements. Julian focused on the Main Building and the area near the main gate.
‘The dormitory stands between the Main Building and the main gate. If we reclaim it and activate the Magical Defense Barrier, the road between the Main Building and the gate should become safe.’
His thoughts continued to spin.
Their food was almost gone, and their only way forward was to capture another building.
Which one should they attack?
The Welfare Building, which contained the Transportation Magic Circle?
‘That place is a battlefield where three demons are fighting one another.’
They had barely escaped Lucifer’s hell. If they encountered another three-course serving of hell, even their souls would be wrung dry.
Or the dormitory near the main gate?
‘We have absolutely no information about that place.’
Furthermore, if something went wrong, they might be forced to abandon the Main Building and retreat. Since the dormitory stood halfway up the mountainside, away from the main road, they could become isolated in the worst-case scenario.
Both paths were littered with traps. After considering the situation, Julian slowly nodded.
“This is precisely when we must rely upon the wisdom of the ancients.”
He lowered his voice.
“Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself, and You Will Never Be Imperiled in a Hundred Battles. If you know your opponent and yourself, you will never face danger, even after a hundred battles.”
An ominous feeling came over Theodore. Julian had followed this same pattern when they first met.
“In other words, we know nothing about either the Welfare Building or the dormitory, so both are equally dangerous! We will attack the closer one first!”
“How does that proverb possibly mean that?!”
Theodore shouted without realizing it.
“Are you not simply twisting it to justify whatever you wish to do, Your Highness? And what do you mean by attacking the closer one first? You intend to lead the battle personally again, do you not?”
Julian flinched. His loyal Personal Guard continued.
“Please place your own safety above everything else. You are the head and heart of the Liberation Army! How can a person survive without a head or a heart?”
“If we starve, the head and heart will die anyway.”
Julian spoke.
“And I am not saying this merely because I am the Headmaster. Let us think rationally, Theodore.”
He began counting on his fingers.
“My Divine Power is powerful. Demonic attacks do not affect me. The Wielder of the Holy Sword protects me from Demon Followers. I can even hold my own against demons in a battle of words…… Is there anyone in this Academy more suitable than I am for striking the demons from behind?”
“!”
Theodore was furious because he could not deny it. He clenched his fists and trembled.
Slave realized that the argument had already been decided and asked Julian,
“M-Master, do you have a plan, sir?”
“I do. First, there is something you must do.”
“Pardon?”
Several hours later—
Slave Arthur Blanco ran out of the Main Building’s storeroom and screamed,
“Thieves!”
The man, who now had a dark bruise around one eye, shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Those bastards are stealing our food! Thieves!”
“What? What is it?”
“Thieves?”
The freshmen in the Main Building, who had fallen asleep after eating their fill, rubbed their eyes and stumbled outside.
“Th-Those thieves are taking our food!”
They turned their heads in the direction Slave was pointing.
In the darkness, two masked thieves dressed in black were sprinting toward the Welfare Building with a large sack slung over their shoulders.
The freshmen instantly snapped out of their drowsiness. A muscular mercenary freshman shouted,
“Thieves!”
“Catch the thieves!”
***
‘Damn, those bastards can really run.’
Julian panted beneath his mask. He had enhanced his body with Divine Power more than five times before they started running, yet the freshmen had nearly caught him.
“Are you all right?”
“Huff. Whoa, our freshmen really…… Huff. Do they not seem…… rather capable?”
“……Catch your breath before praising them.”
“Rrrawr. Theodore is right, rawr.”
The hatchling agreed from inside the sack.
“Humans who use their bodies for a living can run that much, rawr. You are simply weak, Headmaster, rawr.”
“Huff. Do you…… Huff. Do you know anything about the stamina of an office worker?”
“What kind of office worker is a prince, rawr? Are you not merely a high-class idler, rawr?”
“You little bastard. Huff. That is an offense against the Imperial Family, punishable by a fine. Hand over half of your dragon lair.”
“Humans truly cannot be trusted, rawr……!”
Despite trading such pointless remarks, the three steadily moved along while pressing themselves against the shadows of the Welfare Building’s walls.
Their objective was simple.
“You understand the plan, correct? We strike quickly and withdraw.”
“We are only stealing food before leaving, are we not, rawr?”
“……Is that not a waste of our strength?”
Julian answered.
“Secrecy is everything in an operation like this.”
After all, their primary objective was to redirect the blame for the food shortage toward the Welfare Building.
The hatchling stared at him in disbelief.
“This is trickery, rawr. What kind of prince is such a schemer, rawr?”
“The Academy made me this way.”
Julian lowered his voice, pretending to be aggrieved.
“If the Chairman of the Academy had eaten even a little less, I would never have resorted to this.”
“……Raiding an enemy’s storeroom is an excellent tactic, rawr. The Imperial Family clearly provided you with a fine education, rawr.”
His change in attitude was immediate. Theodore shook his head and asked,
“There must be a reason why only the three of us came.”
“Well, it would be useful if we could seize some food while we are here. It would be even better if we could gather information at the same time.”
Julian lowered his voice.
“How the Welfare Building operates, exactly which demons control it and what they do, and how their power structure is arranged…… There is no harm in observing those things.”
“That is certainly true.”
Theodore examined the Welfare Building, which was submerged in darkness. Low-Ranking Demons stood guard before the entrance leading into the cafeteria.
“However, we will need to enter quietly.”
“I have a way.”
Julian crept around to the rear of the Welfare Building. A long section of the wall had been covered with old wooden boards.
He approached one part of the boarded wall and knocked softly five times.
SLIDE.
The old wooden wall moved aside with astonishing silence. Julian strode inside.
The stale odor of dust and stagnant water filled the air.
Boxes containing broken Magic Devices and Magic Brooms had been carelessly abandoned across the floor. A bulletin board covered in faded notices and club posters hung on the wall.
‘This place has not changed.’
He approached the wall without hesitation. He was almost pleased to discover that something within the Academy remained as it had been five years ago.
‘Then that should still be here as well.’
Julian whispered,
“Magic Rats.”
Theodore, standing beside him, doubted his own eyes.
The notices and posters attached to the bulletin board vanished in an instant, revealing a black stone tablet. White letters floated above the enormous slab.
[Death to Summoning Magic] I am hungry…….
[Anonymous] Did you not offer Lady Seir your tears?
[Death to Summoning Magic] I tried. Maw took them from me.
[Anonymous] Ah…….
[Demon Worshipper 288] Seir and Vasago are finished. Maw is the one who matters now. You need to attach yourself to a powerful demon like Maw.
[Mage 015] Why would Moloch even bother with you? Tsk, tsk.
[Demon Worshipper 288] Are you trying to start a fight? It is true that Seir and Vasago cannot even stand against Moloch and Maw these days.
[Death to Summoning Magic] At least Lady Seir and Lord Vasago give us something to eat.
[Mage 015] Exactly. I truly hate Maw.
Julian furrowed his brow.
“Maw?”