As befitted a historic magic school, Arpad Academy was filled with students eager to use Magic Power to create something entertaining.
Magic Rats was one such creation. It was an anonymous message board created long ago by senior students using Magic Power Slates.
The system linked multiple small Magic Power Slates to a single large one, so it could not be accessed from anywhere in the Academy. It was available only within buildings that contained a large Magic Power Slate.
‘That was why Magic Rats could not actually be used in the Magic Building.’
About a hundred years ago, a group of deranged senior students had supposedly conspired through Magic Rats to play with flame explosions.
After barely preventing half of the Magic Building from being blown away, the Department Head had flown into a rage and summoned a Golem…… From that day onward, the large Magic Power Slate in the basement of the Magic Building had ceased to exist, reduced to powder.
‘Why are all Mages either insane or utterly lacking in character?’
While Julian lamented inwardly, Theodore watched the area around the slate with suspicion. He asked,
“Your High—no, Headmaster. What is this?”
“Hmm.”
After a moment of consideration, Julian explained,
“It is something like a magical message board used exclusively by students.”
“Oh. A magic school truly is different. How fascinating.”
As a Holy Knight, Theodore still seemed fascinated by magic. The moment he understood what it was, he expressed his admiration.
The hatchling spoke in a sharp voice.
“How does the Headmaster know about it, rawr? You found this secret entrance as well. That is suspicious, rawr.”
That was because he was practically a fossil of the Academy.
‘Try spending four years as a student and more than ten years as an Assistant. You will even learn which professor’s bathroom window is broken.’
Julian swallowed his true thoughts and considered the hatchling, Arpad XIII.
The creature had hatched less than a month ago, yet perhaps because he was still a dragon, he could occasionally be remarkably perceptive.
Julian could dismiss the questions of other Mages by claiming that ‘God revealed it to me’…… but one had to tailor one’s bluffs to the audience.
He raised his chin and lowered his voice.
“I have informants everywhere.”
Theodore looked bewildered.
“When did you develop such a network? I have been guarding you constantly.”
“As expected of the scheming Headmaster, rawr.”
“Do not spread malicious rumors.”
While Julian and the hatchling bickered, the Personal Guard diligently attempted to deduce the truth.
“I believe I know who it was. Did that somewhat unhinged Assistant tell you?”
Oh?
Julian’s eyes lit up.
‘That could work.’
From now on, whenever he used knowledge from his previous life, he could use Nicolette as a convenient shield.
“……You noticed. Nicolette worked as an Assistant, so she knows a great deal.”
“I thought as much.”
Theodore nodded.
“She seems utterly devoted to you after the Explosive Vest incident.”
“Could that not be because I made Arthur Blanco my slave?”
“That cannot be dismissed either…… Wait.”
The Personal Guard lowered his voice and brought a hand toward his waist.
“Someone is coming.”
Julian quickly whispered toward the slate.
“Meow.”
The letters on the message board flickered and trembled before disappearing in an instant. The faded notices and posters reappeared in their place.
The moment the concealment was complete, the boarded wall through which they had entered silently opened.
“What?”
A masked trio emerged from the darkness outside.
“Someone got here before us?”
“Damn it. I thought we had first access today.”
Unlike Julian’s tense group, the newcomers casually chatted as they entered. Five people now crowded the narrow supply room.
The atmosphere was too awkward for either side to ignore the other. Julian observed them.
‘Are they students? They seem extremely familiar with this place. And what do they mean by first access?’
The newly arrived masked group also examined Julian and Theodore from head to toe before looking at one another. A tall woman, apparently their leader, stepped forward.
“Who sent you?”
Julian and Theodore quickly exchanged glances. Theodore, who was accustomed to such situations, answered,
“Is it not proper to introduce yourselves first?”
“Haha.”
The woman laughed lightly and turned toward her companions.
“Does he not sound exactly like someone from the Faculty of Swordsmanship?”
“He does. But that lot should not be able to make it this far.”
“Stop avoiding the question and answer us.”
This time, Julian interrupted while pretending to be impatient.
“If our reservations overlapped, I have to go and tell my senior.”
“Your senior? What year are you?”
A fossilized Assistant, that was what he was.
‘However, it would be better to assume a different role if I want to extract information.’
The way she took pride in her year suggested that she was at least a third-year student. Julian quickly assessed the situation, shifted his gaze nervously, and drew out his words as though intimidated.
“I-I’m a second-year…… Why do you ask……?”
“Ha. This is insane.”
The woman snorted.
“You are not even a third-year, but a second-year? It is dangerous here even for a full group of fourth-years. Who is your senior?”
“Uh, she is not the senior directly above me…… She is an Assistant.”
“That makes this even more insane! Who is she?!”
“Assistant Nicolette…….”
“Ah. Aha.”
The leader suddenly nodded in understanding.
“Then it must be Professor Arthur Blanco.”
“What? Arthur Blanco? That bastard from Summoning Magic?”
“He still has students left under him?”
Julian lowered his head, pretending to be naive.
“That is why this is my first time here too. Assistant Nicolette is ill…….”
“Damn it.”
The leader scratched her head.
“I want to let it slide because you are under Arthur Blanco, but our professor’s temper is no joke either. You know Professor Graham Karoly, do you not?”
“O-Of course. I heard he is an incredible genius.”
“Genius, my foot. He is merely good at pretending to be one.”
“I see. But, Senior……”
Julian cautiously continued.
“Both you and I are only here because our professors ordered us, correct? I do not think there is any reason for us to fight among ourselves…….”
“Then what do you suggest? Are you saying you should go first?”
“No, that is not what I mean.”
Julian waved his hands and spoke.
“Please let us join you.”
“What?”
The leader questioned him at the unexpected request. Julian sighed.
“I do not know anything about what we are supposed to do. I was simply told that I would understand once I came here…… Whew. I felt completely lost, so I was relieved when you appeared.”
“R-Really?”
“You did not look particularly lost. You demanded that we reveal our affiliation first.”
“I did not know you were our seniors. We were nervous too. I would never have acted like that if I had known you were fourth-years.”
Julian continued in a subtly persuasive tone.
“You can say that you arrived first and let us accompany you. This time, we will follow your lead and learn.”
The masked trio exchanged glances.
“There would not be any difficulty, would there?”
“Exactly. It would be better for us if we finished quickly.”
“Wait.”
The leader crossed her arms and asked Julian,
“Are you certain? Professor Arthur Blanco will not let this go.”
“He ordered us to come, so he can deal with the consequences himself.”
At Julian’s sullen response, someone behind the leader burst into laughter.
“I like this one.”
“Heh heh. To be fair, I would want to screw over Arthur Blanco too.”
“As expected, my seniors understand exactly how I feel.”
The atmosphere suddenly became friendly. The leader stepped forward as though making one final confirmation.
“Are you truly certain about this? If you fail to obtain anything today, you may have to starve for a while.”
Starve?
‘Are they trading for food?’
It appeared that the Transportation Magic Circle truly was located here. Julian answered as though there were no need for concern.
“If necessary, we will learn from you this time and return later.”
The masked group encouraged their leader.
“What does it matter? There is no reason we cannot take them.”
“Exactly. They are quicker and sharper than our juniors.”
“Our juniors would never think of screwing over their professor…….”
The leader scratched her head and nodded.
“Fine. Follow us carefully. We will not cover for you if anything happens.”
“Yes. Of course.”
Julian answered immediately. Beside him, Theodore swallowed.
***
Julian felt as though the side of his face were prickling beneath Theodore’s stare.
“Say whatever you want to say.”
Theodore, who had been staring at him sourly, checked the masked trio walking some distance ahead of them. He asked in a hushed voice,
“Your Highness…… What are you thinking?”
His eyes contained far too many questions.
The hatchling also spoke quietly from inside the bundle strapped to Julian’s back.
“Headmaster…… What kind of human are you, rawr?”
Theodore nodded as though he wholeheartedly agreed. Julian whispered,
“Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself, and You Will Never Be Defeated in a Hundred Battles. If we intend to clean them out, we first need to understand how everything works.”
“Y-You acted like a sweet and obedient junior so you could rob them, rawr? As expected, no smooth-talking human can be trusted, rawr!”
“That is not what I meant.”
Julian did not intend to rob the innocent fourth-year students who believed he was their junior.
“I am not that shameless.”
“Ah. Of course.”
For approximately two seconds, Theodore’s gaze became as insolent as Slave’s, but Julian decided to let it pass.
“Had I truly lacked that much conscience, I would never have brought the Liberation Army to the Academy to rescue the students.”
“That is true. You would have remained comfortably inside the Prince’s Palace.”
“Precisely.”
Julian answered calmly while thinking,
‘Although I would have been forced to leave the palace within a few years anyway.’
Would he have been eliminated by the Crown Prince Faction’s poison and curses, or turned into the Temple’s mascot and made into a puppet saint?
‘Coming to Arpad Academy truly was the correct choice.’
Thinking that anew, he looked at the backs of the three masked students walking ahead.
They were fourth-year students in the Faculty of Magic.
After Professor Graham Karoly’s Assistant died, they had begun working as his aides and had traded with the demons of the Welfare Building for a long time.
Julian intended to infiltrate the transaction, observe its atmosphere, and estimate the demons’ ranks and abilities. Afterward, he would locate the storeroom and clean it out.
However, his plan went awry almost immediately.
“The Welfare Building’s storeroom? I do not think there is one.”
Julian paused at the words of the bespectacled man among the masked trio.
“Are you not exchanging goods for food?”
“You truly know nothing, do you? We can simply use Lady Seir’s ability.”
The bespectacled man continued his explanation.
There were currently three demons in the Welfare Building.
Demon Lord Moloch.
Seir.
Vasago.
Of the three, Seir and Vasago were Legion Commander-class Demons.
Although they were not even Demon Kings, the two Legion Commander-class Demons were not serving beneath the Demon Lord. Instead, they had divided the building into separate spheres of influence and stood in opposition to him.
There was only one reason this was possible.
Seir’s and Vasago’s abilities were natural counters to Moloch’s power.
‘Demon Lord Moloch’s Authority and attribute were both Deprivation.’
It caused a person to remain hungry no matter how much they ate and to crave attention no matter how much they received.
Maw, his Human Contractor, had also originally been an ordinary human living in the Welfare Building. However, Deprivation had consumed him, transforming him into the monster known as Maw, who squeezed everything he could from everyone in the building.
‘In contrast, Seir’s and Vasago’s Supernatural Abilities are the sort that thieves…… No, that people would lose their minds over.’
Seir possessed the Supernatural Ability to retrieve any desired object from anywhere.
Vasago possessed the Supernatural Ability to discover anything hidden.
Those abilities were already irresistible to humans.
But what if they made the shops and bank of the isolated Academy their territory?
More importantly, what if Seir took control of the bank’s Transportation Magic Circle?
‘She would become the God of Logistics…… No, the Demon of Logistics.’
Seir could use her Supernatural Ability through the Transportation Magic Circle to retrieve any object from outside.
Whenever they did not know the object’s precise location, Vasago could reveal where it had been hidden.
In that manner, the two demons had joined forces and monopolized every item brought in from outside the Academy.
‘A territorial conflict between the Monster of Deprivation and the Demons of Logistics. Is this what they call a battle between a spear and a shield?’
The corners of Julian’s mouth rose.
‘This is becoming interesting.’