88. The remaining one semester is (2)

I was taken aback.

Pantheon’s temporary closure had ended. So, I came to the Roya Hall of the Combat Department, where training was scheduled for the afternoon.

Roya Hall was a place with many statues and portraits commemorating Roya’s nun mother. Since I was back at Pantheon, I wanted to visit the statue.

Now that all my memories had returned, I missed my mother terribly whenever I thought of her, Agnes-ssi.

‘Actually, I don’t even remember my mother’s embrace…’

My mother had left me, still a baby, at the Frontier Count’s mansion and departed for the old Imperial Capital for the final battle.

But through the divine power conveyed through my mother’s rosary, I could soothe my longing a little with its warmth.

So, I was about to steel myself for the future in front of my mother’s statue when I suddenly saw three people gathered there.

‘Fabian, Reef, and Eric, isn’t it?’

I already knew that Fabian and Reef had become very close through their scandalous parties.

Eric, from Essenmund and Hans’s younger brother, was also a skilled swordsman, just lacking in confidence, so it wasn’t strange that he was hanging out with them.

And they noticed me. At that moment, Fabian suddenly approached me quickly.

“I, Fabian of the White Nights Knights, greet my lord.”

A sudden oath of allegiance. I was internally flustered but soon understood.

‘If it’s Fabian… well.’

He’s the absurd guy who always calls me Frontier Count. Even during the fierce battle of the Mana Demon War, he was seducing nuns from the Medical Department and engaging in passionate love affairs.

This Southern golden boy’s way of thinking is very different from normal people.

“Fabian. When did you join the White Nights Knights without me knowing? And if so, I’m not your lord. It’s His Highness Wilhelm.”

“Either way, Yulian Frontier Count-nim… no, Count-ssi, aren’t you the one who will become the master of the White Nights!”

Hearing that answer, I was even more speechless. As expected, Reef and Eric, who were closer to normal, were looking at us with very bewildered expressions.

I said to him.

“That’s true. Anyway, Fabian, aren’t you a young noble from the South? The Sentiac Knights would suit you better than the White Nights.”

“Absolutely not! I’m tired of Southern women… no. I’m the youngest in my family anyway, so even if I stay in the South, I won’t have a chance to shine. So, the Empire’s strongest White Nights Knights…”

“It seems your interest is in Northern women rather than the White Nights.”

“Y-You caught me! As expected, Count-ssi, you are amazing!”

As expected. In fact, the women of Essenmund are famous for their beauty even in the Empire. Comparing them to Earth in my past life, Essenmund people were similar to Slavic people.

‘On Earth, Europeans sometimes looked down on Slavs, but…’

In Islend, Essenmund’s status was different. Especially thanks to Sword Empress Aylin and my mother Agnes-ssi. Essenmund women were revered more than in other regions.

‘There’s also the Sword Empress’s musical play. My mother became more famous to the public because of the musical play.’

Of course, like Aylin or my mother, and Uriel, who was my escort knight, Essenmund women are very stubborn and fierce.

If they don’t like a frivolous man like Fabian, they might even cut off his dick. Of course, that won’t happen to me, the future master of the North.

‘Uriel. I hope you’re doing well.’

My escort knight, with whom I had a relationship after Aylin. Thanks to her, I was able to awaken my Mana. After regaining my memories, my gratitude towards her grew even more.

‘I miss her.’

But in fact, it’s only been about two months since she returned to the North. And Essenmund, too, is swarming with monsters to the point where she, an Aura user, can’t rest for a moment.

Anyway, I helped Fabian up. And after exchanging a few words, I naturally realized that these three were considering their next steps.

‘Well, if the second-year students take a leave of absence like this, the students will have to decide their affiliations carefully.’

If the Empire’s political situation weren’t chaotic, everyone would consider the Imperial Capital Guard as their first choice. But the students aren’t fools, so they know that the current Guard is Grius’s puppet.

‘The Imperial Capital Guard is a mess right now.’

The anti-Grius faction, knights and elite soldiers loyal to the Aschterk Imperial Family, are toiling to death in the outskirts of the Imperial Capital adjacent to the old Imperial Capital.

But the Guard knights of the Grius faction are flaunting their power and creating notoriety everywhere in the Imperial Capital.

They often extort money from merchants under the pretext of maintaining security and harass women. Even Reef, who is from the Central region, talked about this fact.

“With the current Guard, I honestly don’t want to join. Fighting monsters in the outskirts of the Imperial Capital as an Imperial citizen would be honorable, but… if I were assigned to the Grius faction, I would have to clean up after those corrupt knights.”

So, Reef seemed to envy Eric inwardly.

‘Well, I was planning to write a letter of recommendation for Eric as an apprentice in the White Nights Knights anyway.’

I had beaten his brother during my delinquent days, and more than anything, I had confirmed Eric’s skills directly in the midterm exam.

Of course, Reef, who is more skilled than Eric, couldn’t help but envy Eric, who might go to the White Nights Knights.

‘But Reef can’t choose the Sentiac Knights either.’

Rumors that the South would choose independence from the Empire, that is, rebellion, had already spread everywhere. Reef, who is from the Central region, can’t choose that side.

In many ways, he was in a dilemma. So, Reef sighed as if he was disappointed.

“It might be difficult… but if I have the chance, I might apply to be an apprentice knight in the White Nights Knights…”

At those words, Fabian slapped Reef on the back. Tak!

“Hoo. Saying that in front of Count-ssi, is that subtly asking for a favor?”

“N-No! And Fabian, weren’t you the one who was trying to get in line just now…”

“Hmph. I have always shown loyalty to Count-ssi, so I deserve it. Isn’t that right? I, Fabian, am a Southerner, but from today, I have decided to make Essenmund my hometown!”

“E-Essenmund people aren’t as frivolous as you!”

The three of them bickered for a while like that. But I actually had the intention of accepting both Fabian and Reef under me.

‘They are all swordsmen with outstanding potential.’

All three of them are students who showed great performance in the Mana Demon War.

If things went wrong and they flowed into the South, and if they caught Duke Pedro’s eye and became Mana-infused, it might create a troublesome situation like Leister.

Rather, if they want to come to Essenmund, I would welcome it with open arms.

Now that I have regained my memories, I am thinking every moment as the successor to the Frontier Count. I welcome any talent who will become the future of the North.

‘And more than anything, those three will have to be active again soon.’

Soon, there will be chaos in Pantheon again. No, not just Pantheon, but the entire Imperial Capital. At that time, these three are resources that must move according to my instructions once again.

“Well, anyway, that’s after the first semester final exam. Shall we talk about the complicated stuff over a drink soon?”

“Great! A scandalous… no, a wholesome party like last time…”

Fabian was very excited at those words.

After a short conversation with the three of them, I moved to the training grounds with them.

---

Evening came.

Even after the lectures and training at Pantheon were over, I didn’t return to the mansion.

“This is a letter from Her Highness Princess Lilia.”

And I sat on the sofa in the atelier and unfolded the letter that Aylin handed me. A beautiful handwriting. It was the same handwriting as Lilia’s that I had seen immediately after losing my memories.

I quickly read all the contents. Lilia was much busier than me after the Mana Demon War.

She was busy from the start, but now the political situation in the Imperial Capital was turning very complicated.

I briefly summarized the contents of the letter to Aylin.

‘Grius has imprisoned the Emperor.’

Outwardly, it was announced that the Emperor, feeling unwell, was taking a break for stability. But Grius was not in his right mind.

The chaos in the Empire and the assassination attempt targeting him. Since then, he had been feeling fear close to delusion.

Of course, it was the result of properly using my fake identity, George, and Grius’s close aide, Carmen.

“So far, it has gone as Young Master expected. Then all the anti-Grius factions…”

“That’s right. They will gather around Lilia.”

Grius had not only imprisoned the Emperor but was also preparing to ascend to the throne himself due to his fear.

The Emperor of the Empire is special. The three prestigious families that created the Lamir Kingdom: Aschterk, Reinhardt, and Orhain.

Among them, the Aschterk family, which inherited the blood of the hero, grew the Lamir Kingdom into the current Holy Lamir Empire.

That holiness, of course, refers to the descendant of the hero and the one who has risen to the pinnacle of the Empire. The Emperor. And the Emperor has been praised by the Imperial citizens as an apostle of the main god Zedine.

‘Of course, that’s a very distant story.’

The belief that the Emperor is sacred in himself has been greatly diluted since the Great War, or rather, since the appearance of the Chaotic Gate before that.

But the current Grius fervently believed in that legend.

He is not at all a member of the Aschterk Imperial Family, but he has become delusional that he will become an apostle of Zedine by ascending to the throne himself.

He already had enough ambition, but I, disguised as an identity, further fueled that delusion. Soon, Grius will declare a new Grius Imperial Family instead of the Aschterk Imperial Family. It was not far off.

“And that corrupt priest’s rebellion will further solidify Lilia’s justification for ascending to the throne.”

Since Grius is already in my grasp, all the rebellion plans he has made have come to me. The rebellion that will be launched in the Imperial Capital, Teria, through the Imperial Capital Guard, which has become his private army.

And that rebellion is suppressed in Lilia’s name. And since the current Emperor has already become half-crippled after being imprisoned by Grius.

Lilia, the daughter of the late Emperor, and Lilia, who suppressed the rebellion, will have all the qualifications to ascend to the next Emperor.

There are a total of four children of the late Emperor. The First Princess is currently the Duchess of the Orhain family. And the First Prince is the current Emperor. The Second Princess is a sacred priestess of the Hesus Art Department, dedicating herself to art activities as a single woman.

Since the current Emperor has no children, it was practically a fight between the First Princess and the Third Princess, Lilia. Of course, Lilia inherited the blood of the Aschterk Imperial Family most strongly.

And I told Lilia in advance about the rebellion that Grius would launch.

So, Lilia is busy recruiting the lords of the Central region near the Imperial Capital and the anti-Grius faction Guard commanders.

“In fact, Duke Pedro was thinking of taking over the Empire regardless of such justification. One way or another, a great war will break out in the Empire.”

Aylin’s expression was dark. She, too, had lost her homeland due to war. I nodded.

“But even such a war would be nothing compared to the promised destruction. So, there is only one thing I have to do.”

To stop Duke Pedro. The person whom my mother had also prophesied as the one holding the key to destruction. And the only person in the Empire who can stand against that person is me.

‘The reason why my mother was able to use such amazing divine power on me…’

It was because Agnes was a great saint who would remain in history. But in fact, that alone would not have been enough to perform such a large-scale future prediction that I would have mistaken it for possession.

[You are right. Yulian.]

And Zedine’s Holy Sword, Erti. She agreed with my thoughts.

No less than my mother, or rather, more than my mother, I am a human chosen by God.

‘My mother’s prophecy was also a prophecy about me, who is blessed by God. That’s why such a miraculous thing was possible.’

Humans, the race blessed by Zedine. And I am a hybrid of the race blessed by Yunir, the demons.

Perhaps, the one who can resist the power of another world that should not exist in this world, the power of chaos, the voice. Only I, who can receive the blessings of both main gods at the same time, will be the only one.

As the Emperor’s husband. And as the Demon King representing the Demon Kingdom.

More than anything, if I keep the Demon Kingdom under me. I can directly check the South, which borders the Demon Kingdom.

‘But I haven’t proven that I am qualified to be the Demon King yet.’

I checked the Lemegeton. Familiar three Archdukes. Below that, unwelcome letters were written.

——-

「Contractor of the Demon Archdukes – Demon Book Lemegeton」

* Displays the names of the currently contracted Demon Archdukes.

## List

* Grand Duchess of Lust, Louyril

* Grand Duchess of Jealousy, Baidy

* Grand Duke of Gluttony, Illaz

..

..

「Uncontractable」

* The Archdukes below have chosen other contractors.

: Wrath / Pride

* The Archdukes below have chosen neutrality in the contract.

: Greed / Sloth

——-

‘Uncontractable.’

The path to becoming the Demon King has become not so simple. The source of my father Lucifer’s title, the Ice Demon King. Grand Duke of Wrath.

He has chosen another contractor. The Grand Duke of Pride has joined him. The remaining two were neutral. But at least for the current me, it meant that I had not received the choice of all the Archdukes.

‘I already know the reason.’

I am not a pure-blooded demon but a human hybrid. And among humans, I have the blood of a great saint blessed by Zedine.

The fact that Zedine and Yunir can be together can be proven by my existence. But not all Archdukes like Zedine and the six gods under her.

Especially the Grand Duke of Wrath. He does not choose a contractor who does not have the power to satisfy him.

‘He must be dissatisfied with me. In many ways.’

But I wasn’t impatient. This quest right in front of me will open the way to becoming the Demon King.

I checked the final main quest once again.