episode_0100

“… It’s good. Eden Academy. It sticks in your mouth.”

“Isn’t this a meaning that fits well with Merlin’s ideal?”

“Yes… So I like it more. great. The name of the academy will be Eden Academy.”

Even if I wasn’t there, Merlin would have naturally established Eden Academy. Because it was like that in previous history. However, since we have already created variables in Merlin’s life, it is better to make sure to prevent any wrong future.

We’re almost there now. Until the saint was born.

As long as it does not interfere with Mary’s birth, it is sufficient. My first goal right now is the birth of Maria, and my second goal is to defeat the Demon King Kanos.

“While you were compiling your thoughts, I created a graveyard for your comrades.”

“Thank you for your hard work. It’s for no reason because of me… .”

“No. Aren’t we colleagues who once fought back to back? Once a friend, always a friend.”

“Colleague… I feel very fortunate to have met Suoka in Masurim. A most precious relationship… .”

“Thank you for saying that. It’s up to you to ask about the hero’s party. I hope they do too.”

Merlin bowed to me and thanked me politely. After that, he silently moved the warrior party members one by one to the hole I had dug.

I watched from a distance with Nioh, who had come to his senses before I knew it.

“Suoka.”

“You can call me as usual now. As long as Merlin doesn’t hear it.”

“Demon, Oscar.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“The spirit of the demons has changed. It’s so big.”

“Can you feel that? I’ve been hoarding it, but since it’s a power I just gained, I can’t manage it easily. Uh, then maybe that Merlin friend felt my energy too?”

“Only I can feel it. A wild sixth sense. Something that only I have.”

“Then I’m glad. Mr. Yohan, are you hurt anywhere?”

“A lot. But you don’t have to look at it. If you leave it alone, it will heal on its own.”

“As expected, Mr. Yohan is a manly man.”

Nioh’s entire body was charred black. Still, I can leave it alone. Have I lost my mind? I decided to become an asshole instead of a real man.

“Still, you need to get treatment. I know a few herbs that are good for treating burns, so later, put them on your body and get a tan in a sunny place.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

“What. I am even more grateful to you for acting well during this time. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Colleagues, good things. Even though a lot of people died, it was still a happy time.”

“If you go out into civilization, you will meet more people. There may be people who are not unconditionally good, like this hero party or saint Irowell.”

“There are many people like demons?”

“… I feel strange when you say that. It feels like I’ve become the bad guy.”

“Demons, they are bad guys. He is the worst person I have ever met.”

“… .”

No matter how hard I tried to rehabilitate myself, I still hear things like that. It feels like the past years have been wasted, and sadness fills me like a fountain.

But don’t despair. Being a ‘bad guy’ is an improvement in itself.

‘joker… ‘You are something that should not have been born.’

‘I’ve never heard of someone as evil and strange as you. No matter what kind of devil comes, I don’t think I can even show a business card in front of you.’

‘A crystal made of pure evil, that’s all. There’s no way to explain you.’

The evaluation that Cheonwoong (天雄) gave me in my previous life was nothing short of harsh. From a guy who should never have been born to just a bad guy, what a wonderful development this is. If you slowly improve like this, one day you will be able to reach what the saint preached.

Things like love, tolerance, and chivalry.

“But Yohan, good times cannot last forever. We must now say goodbye to Merlin.”

“I understand. Irowell said that if there is a meeting, there is a parting, and that is the completion of the relationship.”

“ Hey, it was over 200 years ago that you met Irowel, but do you still remember it?”

“Irowell said that because she knew I would break up with her. According to what Irowell said, my relationship with her is already complete, but Irowell is still alive in my heart.”

“… .”

The mood suddenly becomes gloomy. Are you bragging about being your lover?

If I’m a lover, I won’t be left behind. They are demons who have been waiting for a saint for 400 years. In fact, 400 years is a long time by human standards, but by demon standards, it is a moment and nothing special.

“Merlin is coming. Now, be careful what you say again.”

“Suoka, the party members… I buried it all.”

“Good job.”

He patted Merlin’s green head to show that he had done well. Merlin’s haggard face smiled brightly.

“If Suoka-sama wasn’t there… I probably wouldn’t have even woken up. No, it would have been impossible to catch the Dragon King.”

“What are you talking about? It was your meteor that changed the tide of battle.”

“And just like now… I wouldn’t have been able to stand up again. I must have been obsessed with the fact that my magic killed my comrades, and was in deep despair.”

“Well, I just gave you a few words of advice because you seemed sad.”

“Those few words woke me up. thank you. sincerely. I really want to repay this favor that is engraved in my bones… .”

Kkook-.

Merlin suddenly grabs my hand. He whispers in an earnest voice.

“Mr. Suoka, Mr. Yohan. Come to the continent with me. Go and establish an academy. I want to repay you for the kindness I have received.”

“Sorry, that’s not possible.”

“Yes? Uh, why… .”

I flatly refused.

To create a place that will change history. I know you didn’t mean to, but I still can’t allow it.

“Just as you have a dream of establishing an academy, we have our own dream. That dream can only be realized if you are in the forest.”

“Ah… .”

“You can say that you have achieved half of your goal by killing the Dragon King, who was your enemy, but I still have no intention of returning to the continent. You are the only one going back.”

“Well, then at least the whereabouts of the two of you… ! I really want to send you a gift once I arrive on the continent… !”

“Gift? That’s it too. What are you trying to say to people who have lived in the wild for decades, far from civilization? Right, Johan?”

“Decades? Well, decades, that’s right. We have been living in the forest for decades.”

Now, Nioh, who is observant enough to make you look like an ordinary mutt, is very accepting of my words. Merlin lowered his head as if his mind was mixed.

“It’s okay without any gifts or rewards. Because I know very well your kind heart.”

“… Hi.”

“You really have a lot of tears.”

“No, you won’t be seen crying like this anymore… ! Because the warrior said that a teacher who has to lead children must always be calm and someone the children can trust and rely on… !”

“You are still a child, aren’t you.”

“Still, I can’t… ! Because I’m going to be a teacher in the future… !”

As he spoke those words, Merlin wiped away his tears.

Looks like he’s leaving. That’s the atmosphere.

“Merlin, just in case, don’t talk about me after you leave the continent.”

Before he leaves, I must leave these words.

Because veteran magicians don’t finish things off sloppily.

“Yes? Well, why is that… ?”

“… I’m telling you now, but the truth is, I am a sinner. He became famous as a hunter, but when he got drunk, he killed someone. Because of that, I came to Masurim to escape, and met this friend, John.”

“Ah… You had such a story… .”

“It was an incident so old that the world forgot about me, but a guy like me shouldn’t reveal his name to the world. To the person who died because of my mistake… It’s not polite. When you go to the continent and someone asks you what happened, just tell them about the hero party and John. Anyway, I didn’t do anything.”

At my hastily made false confession, Merlin was silent for a moment and then cleared his throat.

“Yes, I will… !”

“Do you understand?”

“Because I know that Suoka is a good person. If it were known that you helped capture the Dragon King, you would have received great wealth, but just look at the fact that you turned it all down for the sake of conscience.”

“That’s too much praise for a guy like me.”

“The Suoka I saw was a really cool person… Anyway.”

Merlin takes a step away from me.

“Thank you so much… !”

Merlin bowed his head to us and then disappeared beyond the horizon as the sunset was fading away. I think the breakup was a bit sudden, but anyway, staying with him any longer will only narrow the scope of my activities.

Now, Merlin will establish Eden Academy, the best academy in the empire, earn the title of Great Sage, and pioneer a new level of magic that no one has ever reached. In a very desirable direction.

It’s not a problem for Merlin to become stronger. Because I don’t have to fight with him. Big Bang… I don’t want to go through the aftereffects of that crazy magic again.

“Can I speak comfortably now?”

“Yes, do it yourself.”

“Whoa, it was frustrating. Demons.”

“I had fun acting. Just grab that dragon king’s corpse. Because that’s precious.”

Nioh, who received my order, grabs the Dragon King’s body and lifts it up. Although the body was ground and torn in several places, important parts such as teeth and bones were intact. Great, it would be perfect for use as medicine, nutritional supplements, or weapon ingredients.

“The Dragon King died very gruesomely. It doesn’t look like he died after being crushed by a meteorite.”

“Really? It’s because of my mood.”

“The demon killed him. There is magic in it.”

“ Wow, you’ve become very perceptive. That’s right, I actually killed him.”

“I feel good. Irowell said that revenge is a bad thing, but I really feel relieved that the Dragon King is dead.”

“That’s what revenge is all about. Uncomfortable and exhilarating. It’s common to feel those two things together. However, in the case of Mr. Yohan… .”

When you kill someone who killed your relative with your own hands. It is said that the murderer feels a combination of pleasure, immorality, and self-loathing. Aversion to slaughter, aversion to seeing oneself as the target of revenge, something like that creeps up.

But what if the guy who killed him dies in a car accident? Or what if you get caught and killed by another bad guy? All the victim’s relatives feel is pleasure. Since you didn’t kill him, there’s no reason to feel guilty.

I unintentionally avenged Nioh. I accumulated good deeds today too. I am making progress like this.

“Why do you stop talking?”

“Just move it. An article said that talkative males are not attractive.”

“But demons talk a lot, right?”

“… Strangely enough, it seems like you are not only perceptive, but also sharp-tongued. It’s a positive direction, but let’s decide the time and place.”

After sharing a light Tiki Taka with Nioh, we headed to where our group would be. To the place where Beatrice Constantino, Langwang Aru, angel Uriel, and shaman Meta will be waiting. Since I disappeared without a proper explanation, they must be quite curious about my current situation.

Before I knew it, the sun had set and the sunset was coming up. Well, it was a day where all sorts of things happened. It was as much fun as it was hard work.

As I was smiling with that thought in mind, I saw several women over the hill. The Nioh carrying the Dragon King and the women running towards me at incredible speed… And one angel and one goblin.

“Master! What on earth happened to you?! Why is my magic… !”

“Young demon! are you okay? Are you injured!?”

“Young leader! These guys caught the dragon! Now King Lang and Beatrice are dragon slayers!”

“Oscar! Suddenly my magical power increased! Did Oscar do it?”

what? You caught a dragon? Beatrice and Aruga?

“Lord, lord! Seriously, what Yohan is carrying on his back right now… !”

“Yo, yo, yo, it’s the Dragon King!? Leader! Why is the Dragon King Endros like that… !”

There are a lot of things I want to ask, but I think I should answer their questions first.

*****

Light-.

The footsteps of the genius wizard Merlin crossed the forest path of the Demon Forest.

Wearing a wizard’s robe, clothes that were so tattered that they could be read as tatters, light green hair tangled in a haphazard manner, and broken glasses. Anyone who saw it could tell that there had been a violent commotion.

“Ah… It’s frustrating.”

Merlin felt uncomfortable in the clothes he was wearing. It was already a heavy robe, but wearing it, even covered in sweat, made me feel stuffy.

It felt even more so because the weather in Masurim was so chaotic and the air was warmed by the heat.

“… Isn’t there anyone?”

Are you worried at all? Merlin looks around. At some point, a determination appears in the rolling green eyes.

“Umm… .”

Sharak-.

Merlin very carefully and with gentle hands unfastened his robe. The brown robe slipped down.

What was revealed under the moonlight was pale skin. Even though he confirmed that no one was around, Merlin wrapped his arms around his body as if he was so embarrassed.

closely-.

Merlin’s chest was wrapped in white bandages. Why is the flat chest covered with a bandage? Are there any scars that cannot be seen by others?

“Ugh… I gained weight… .”

Merlin’s brow furrowed. Merlin began to use magic to undo the bandages that were wrapped around him.

“Ha… It’s cool… .”

Just like that, by the time the bandages were almost gone.

pop-!

There was a noise as if some kind of magic had been released.

“Oh… ! Oh, it’s been a while, so I’m getting used to it… !”

As if carrying something heavy, Merlin lost his balance and stumbled.

There was nothing covering his chest anymore.

“Ugh… As expected, my heart is heavy… .”

There were two large, white lumps.

Merlin carefully held the lumps with both hands. Moonlight shot down on a pile of flesh large enough to cover half of the upper body.

“Hiyaa… Still, it’s nice because it’s cool… .”

So, the genius girl Merlin returned to the continent after enjoying the freshness and freedom of the night for quite a long time.