Ch.8080. Dire Straits

“That’s right!”

Elia clenched her fists and exclaimed with excitement as she saw her name on the publicly posted “Exchange Student List.”

Luca, Grid, Falco, and Trisha.

She smiled brightly again after confirming all her friends’ names on the list.

It seems the hellish special training she went through with her friends these past few days wasn’t in vain after all.

“Now we can go together, Trisha!”

“Elia, I… can’t breathe!”

Elia squealed with delight as she hugged Trisha tightly from behind, causing the latter to cry out.

But Elia paid no attention and refused to loosen her arms around Trisha.

“Thanks to you, I won’t have to be separated from the teacher!”

Wasn’t it Trisha who had pushed her, saying that Darwood Campbell would most likely be on this list?

She had said that if Elia left things as they were, other girls would be all over him. If she didn’t want to fall behind, she needed to work hard.

She was glad she listened!

“W-wait, Elia, we need to come up with a plan first.”

There were quite a few unwelcome names mixed in on the list right in front of them.

“…The student council president, that Yuria person you mentioned, the Saint, and even that mad dog…? Wow, this is going to cause quite a stir.”

Elia’s expression darkened slightly at the lineup Trisha was reciting.

Exchange students were supposedly selected based on merit regardless of grade level, but even considering that, it seemed oddly concentrated with freshmen.

Generally speaking, one’s “grade level” at the Academy is the most basic unit of measuring ability, isn’t it?

Despite that, this selection seemed centered around freshmen, particularly those in Darwood Campbell’s circle.

“That’s why you need to stay sharp, Elia.”

Trisha said calmly.

“To tame that stallion of a man, you need to have your own weapons!”

“…Trisha. Aren’t you still a cleric?”

What kind of word choice is that?

Calling a normal person a stallion.

“Well, he’s not exactly a normal person, to be honest.”

“…”

“Ask anyone in the Academy about him. See if they don’t say the same thing.”

“…”

Even Elia couldn’t refute that.

“…Anyway, what do you mean by having my own weapons?”

“I’m asking if you have something special that other girls can’t offer him.”

Do I have something like that?

Wasn’t that why I was so depressed recently? Because there was nothing I could do to help that man.

“You don’t necessarily need to do something for him. If you know something about him that others don’t, you can start from there.”

“…”

If it’s something like that, there is one thing.

When Grand Duke Tristan was rampaging after being consumed by an unidentified object.

That man was facing off against a “monstrosity” whose form was unrecognizable.

She still clearly remembers Darwood talking to it as if he “knew it well” in a state where time had completely stopped.

He was determined to “sacrifice” something of his own to ensure everyone present wouldn’t die.

‘…I didn’t ask him about it though.’

It wasn’t something easily shared with others.

It was definitely something other people wouldn’t know about.

“…Hey, Trisha.”

“Yes?”

“You know, the teacher.”

After pondering for a while, Elia suddenly blurted out a keyword.

“He seems to be on friendly terms with something really terrible, you know?”

“…”

“Could we come up with something using that?”

“…Let’s think about what your weapon might be, together, slowly.”

Trisha was a kind-hearted person.

In other words, she couldn’t bring herself to yell at her closest friend to stop talking nonsense.

“…Hm?”

At that moment, Elia realized that the surroundings were unusually quiet and quickly turned her head.

It was because everyone’s attention was focused in one direction.

And when Elia saw the person at the edge of her vision.

She immediately understood why this phenomenon was occurring.

‘…She’s incredibly beautiful.’

Elia couldn’t help but think.

She was so small she could be called a munchkin.

But.

She had a condensed beauty that commanded attention even in a place filled with exceptional people.

Almost as if.

She didn’t feel like ‘the same kind of person’ at all.

It strongly felt like some ‘other being’ that wasn’t human was mixed in as part of her composition.

“…”

Silently raising her wand, the student scanned the names posted on the bulletin.

And Elia instinctively read the name where the tip of the wand stopped.

-1st Grade, Faynol Leiphec.

She had heard the name before.

She was one of the strongest first-years, the reason why the hero candidate couldn’t be called the singular best.

A true genius when it comes to handling magic. A monster whom Headmaster Atalante declared could surpass even herself in magic.

“…”

So that’s what she looked like.

That was the extent of her impression.

She was certainly eye-catching, but what could Elia do when they had no connection whatsoever?

That’s what she was thinking.

Until Faynol frowned with a “hmm” sound after confirming her own name.

She seemed displeased that another ‘name’ she was looking for wasn’t visible.

-…

Soon, she smoothly moved her wand to another part of the list.

Her eyes softened. She seemed to have found the person she was looking for.

Elia followed her gaze and read the name written there.

-2nd Grade, Darwood Campbell.

“…”

Wait a minute.

What?

Her too?

“…As expected, he’s here.”

Saying that, Faynol smiled.

With a seductively enchanting expression on her face, she then walked away in another direction.

As if, once she confirmed this, the other people weren’t even worth paying attention to.

“…”

Elia, who had been staring blankly in that direction, opened her mouth wide.

Why?

Why on earth?

What is that man doing and where is he going that attracts someone like her?

“…”

While Elia was lost in such thoughts.

Trisha spoke in a stiff voice.

“…Hey, Elia.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s try not to get involved with that person if we can help it.”

Elia blinked.

“…What?”

“Promise me.”

“…”

Seeing Trisha speaking so forcefully, Elia nodded reluctantly.

After all, she had never lost out by listening to Trisha’s advice so far.

Of course, Trisha wasn’t saying this without reason.

‘…I can’t see anything.’

She couldn’t find any ‘color of heart’ in Faynol.

No matter who the person is, they cannot be completely devoid of ’emotion.’ As far as Trisha knew, this kind of appearance could only be seen in one case.

A dead person.

“…”

Trisha silently stared at the back of Faynol’s head.

But, that woman.

She’s clearly alive and moving.

‘…What is she?’

She’s definitely not a normal ‘human.’

With that certainty, Trisha watched Faynol walk away while hiding her sweat-covered hands.

●

I look down at the ring on my finger and swallow dryly.

One minimal temporary measure.

I went to the ecstatic Elnore and asked her not to announce our ‘engagement’ to anyone.

I made her promise not to tell anyone around us until at least after we graduate from the Academy.

Because if rumors spread, I’m simply done for.

“…Indeed, with your current status, it would be detrimental if it became known that you’re engaged to a member of the ducal family.”

Fortunately, she understood. That means I’ve managed to suppress one landmine that would definitely explode in my future relationship with other Demonic Vessels.

“…”

However, I still haven’t cleared the landmine right in front of me.

I glare at the ticking timer with bloodshot eyes.

!!!!!!!!!!!Demon Alert!!!!!!!!!!!

[Emergency event related to ‘demons’ has occurred!]

[This is a critical event!]

[If you don’t act correctly within the time limit, you will die!]

[This event is related to target ‘Yuria’!]

[Find a way to survive!]

[Remaining time limit]

[9: 22: 33]

No matter how much I rack my brain, I can’t figure out how to survive.

What the hell is the ‘correct action’?

In Elnore’s case, both she and the Grey Demon were full of pure goodwill toward me, so simply accepting those feelings properly was enough to resolve it, but with this one, I really have no clue.

[But does that young lady have a reason to be so anxious? She’s suppressing that strange curse with the circlet, isn’t she?]

“…She’s fine. It’s what’s inside her that’s the problem.”

As Calivan said, Yuria herself isn’t the big issue.

However.

If a window like this appears, it most likely means the White Demon is going berserk and coming to find me.

[What?]

“There’s a crazy one who goes berserk even if I just wear an accessory they ‘haven’t seen before.'”

[…]

“If it’s something given with ‘affection’ from someone other than them, they go twice as crazy.”

There’s a reason it’s called the Demon of Obsession.

The White Demon’s ability to collect information about the object of its interest is truly at an absurd level.

One might think the solution would be to just hide and stay out of sight.

The problem is, Yuria is a vessel whose corruption level automatically increases if she’s separated from me for more than two days. She’ll even charge at me aggressively if she’s away for too long.

And, if I remember correctly.

I’ve been separated from her for about 3 days now because of the Riru and Elnore situation?

This time limit is the period until Yuria sets foot in my room.

And the moment she enters my room and sees this ring.

“…”

It’s written right there in this system window.

I die.

But this time, I really don’t know how to escape…!

“…In 9 hours, something…”

I mutter as I get up from my seat.

I should be able to come up with a plan in my head.

Considering Yuria’s usual routine, she should be trying to manage her curse with Lucien right now. This time limit must be a signal that she’ll come after that.

Then, what I need to do is.

Within the remaining time, considering the personnel and resources around me, I need to work out the optimal conditions-

[…But you know.]

As I was trying to continue my thoughts.

Calivan’s voice was heard.

[Aren’t you being way too relaxed right now?]

“What?”

[If a demon has such tremendous information gathering abilities, couldn’t it find out somehow without even meeting you directly?]

“…What do you mean?”

[I don’t know what makes you think that girl will come exactly 9 hours later, but.]

Calivan continued with a voice of disbelief.

[Someone’s coming down the hallway now. It’s a woman.]

A chill runs up my spine.

When I hurriedly turn my gaze toward the door, I can actually hear someone’s footsteps.

Thanks to Ophelia’s temporary door repair, I couldn’t see who was on the other side, but.

As I stared at it in a frozen state, I heard someone knocking on the door.

“…Mr. Darwood.”

It’s Yuria.

Sweat pours down my face.

“Are you in there? There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“…Oh, Yuria. Sorry, but I’m a bit busy right now-“

“…Why?”

Her voice is the same gentle one as always.

But something feels different.

Normally, if she asked this, it would be with pure intentions, genuinely asking for the reason.

But now, somehow.

A chill rises. I can feel a damp, sticky, and moist sinister emotion clinging beneath her words.

“Why are you busy?”

“…”

“Tell me. Why are you busy?”

“…Well, you see.”

“I saw the president at the student council room earlier. I happened to see her while walking down the corridor of Garrison Hall.”

My heart sinks.

Garrison Hall is the name of the building where Yuria and Lucien are always together.

The student council room is extremely far from there.

It’s a distance where it’s difficult to even recognize each other.

But.

“…She had a ring on her finger.”

Yuria uttered those exact words.

“…”

At that distance, Elnore would appear almost like a dot.

Yet she ‘precisely’ recognized the ring on her finger?

The White Demon boasts information gathering abilities close to supernatural when it comes to the object of its obsession, but this is too insane…!

“But as soon as I saw that.”

The coldness in Yuria’s voice deepened.

“Strangely, strangely, I felt I needed to come to you right away, Mr. Darwood.”

I unconsciously take a step back from the door.

Even though I can’t even see Yuria yet.

“In my head, I keep, hearing, voices. Constantly, constantly, constantly.”

Then.

Crack!

The entire temporarily repaired door twists.

Yuria, standing on the other side of the door, had punched it once.

“Mr. Darwood, Mr. Darwood is leaving me. With someone else, with someone else, trying to form an eternal bond.”

Crack.

The door spits out fragments and becomes more crumpled.

“That’s not true, is it?”

Again, crack.

The plywood completely crumbles, creating a ‘gap.’

And through that gap.

Yuria’s two hands came in.

With a creaking sound, the gap widens grotesquely.

Through the broken door gap, Yuria’s face is visible.

Her eyes are unfocused. The face that always smiled brightly at me now shows no expression.

Not just her pupils, but her hair has also turned white, the color of the demon residing within her.

White energy that seems to freeze everything around it is falling gently from her entire body.

[That’s not true, is it-….?]

‘Letters’ flow out, not a ‘voice.’

The implication is clear.

The ‘evil energy’ residing in that body has become so strong that even the star iron circlet she’s wearing can’t suppress it.

< System Message >

[Target ‘Yuria’s’ corruption level is about to exceed 100%!]

[Checking progress changes!]

[Time limit is being changed!]

!!!!!!!!!!!Demon Alert!!!!!!!!!!!

[Remaining time limit]

[9: 17: 19] → [0: 00: 30]

“…”

System, you fucking bastard.