episode_0034

There is such a thing as unforgettable memories.

Among the daily routines that pass by, the countless memories that we have, and the sights we have seen throughout our lives, there are scenes that are unforgettable, as if they were embedded in a thorn.

“What is this…?”

Acrid smoke rises. Great castles, ordinary houses, well-maintained streets, and corpses that were once human.

All burn equally. Everything that enters the eye burns and dies.

… … No, you’re wrong.

It’s not that they’re dying, it’s that they’re already dead.

I arrived after the lives of those living in this kingdom had ended.

The setting sun, the sun burning beyond the mountain, only looks at everything equally.

And there was someone watching the whole scene.

It was a familiar back view.

“… …Adam? Adam Keynes?”

“… … … Ah.”

“Why is the Minister of Finance here… …?”

An unexpected sight, an unexpected encounter, and a person whose reason for being there is questionable.

Less than a year after I graduated from Grandis Academy, the academy collapsed.

I heard that the chairman died at that time and Adam went off to somewhere.

I haven’t heard from you for years, and I haven’t seen you… …Why are you here?

“Long time no see, Ruth. How many years has it been?”

“Well, it’s been over 3 years since I graduated… …so.”

A conversation as ordinary as an everyday thing, taking place in the face of a landscape filled with flames and death.

Maybe it was because of that gap. Adam’s voice, so calm, gave me goosebumps along with a sense of discomfort.

Why Adam.

Was I just looking at that hell without any concern?

“Minister of Finance, what the heck is going on… … ?”

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“That, what.”

“I’m smoking drugs that are even stronger than before, and now there’s no one to take away the side effects and toxicity, but my mind is clearer. Am I dying or am I coming back to life?”

An unknown question and answer.

Adam, who had been mumbling as if he didn’t expect an answer, soon continued speaking indifferently as if it was no big deal.

“It’s nothing. I just burned it all.”

“Oh, yes?”

“It’s not hard. It catches fire easier than I thought. Blazing, just like the Academy that day.”

Damn it.

Adam looking down on the burning kingdom from the hill.

He waved his hand as if trying to mix the smoke rising from there with the smoke from his own cigarette.

It was an incomprehensible, inexplicable behavior.

Adam looked back quietly, his eyes showing no signs of fatigue, unlike at the Academy.

“You may not know this, but there’s a saying that if you try to catch a flea, you’ll end up burning down the whole house.”

“Huh? What is that… … .”

“Originally, it meant an idiot who burns down his house trying to catch bugs. But then I suddenly had a thought. At least if I do that, I can definitely get rid of bedbugs and bugs.”

When I met Adam after three years, he had changed somehow.

The bleached hair, the old robe, even the cigarettes were all the same.

I didn’t use polite language anymore.

I wasn’t tired anymore.

Cigarette smoke has become much more toxic than before.

Above all else.

“That’s why I did it. That’s all.”

“… … … Minister of Finance.”

“Sorry, but call me by my name instead.”

“Huh?”

“There was only one person who could call me the Minister of Finance… …and now he’s not there.”

Those eyes. At first glance, they don’t seem much different from three years ago.

But after graduating from the academy, while searching for the ‘Dark Sword’, I was able to realize.

Madness lurking deep within the eyes. Those are the eyes of those possessed by the Dark Sword.

It’s an eye that only those who are desperately crazy about something can have.

“Ae… …Chief of Finance. You may not believe it, but you are currently possessed by the Dark Sword. I don’t know how you came into contact with it, but I need your help now… … … .”

“Oh, I see. It could look like that.”

“… … What did you say?”

“It’s true that I made contact. I only cleared the Academy part, but I accidentally saw a guide that told me where the Dark Sword was and how to get it.”

“No, what? What?”

Academy part? Strategy guide? Mistake?

I was convinced as I watched Adam mumbling something.

The current Adam is crazy. He is possessed by the Dark Sword and has lost his taste. Because of that, he even burned down this small kingdom on the outskirts.

‘But the sin will not disappear.’

As someone who was quite close with Adam at the academy, I knew him from back then.

He tried to return Adam to his original state to help him pay for his sins and atone for his sins.

“But I couldn’t even get the 1st grade. Well, it was pretty disappointing… … Ah, it’s almost time.”

“Stay still, Adam. Right now──”

“Let’s get started.”

Adam, who said that, didn’t even pay attention to me holding a sword.

He spoke to the sun beyond the mountains.

I thought it was the obvious actions of a lunatic.

“Drop it, Chloe.”

“… … Cl, Roe?”

Kukwakwakwakwakwa!!!!!

As soon as Adam’s small voice ends, the sun moves beyond the mountains.

… … No, that wasn’t the sun. It was just so huge that I mistook it for the sun.

A [fireball] so large that it covers a mountain and even dims the light of the real sun behind it.

A great magic that is far beyond the level of the 7th grade, and can only be compared to the great magician of the empire.

Fall down.

and.

“All done, Adam.”

“Thank you always, Chloe.”

“What, it’s between us. More importantly, who is this guy…? ”

“Don’t you remember? Ruth Spero. The perennial last place winner.”

“That guy you cared about so much during your time at the academy? You’re not still caring about him, are you?”

“Well, that’s true, it used to be like that… … .”

──Pero!

“Not anymore.”

──Ruth!

“… … Because it doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

──Spero!

“Ruth Spero!!”

“… … … … .”

“Ruth Spero! This is your final warning, put down your sword!”

In an instant, consciousness returns to reality. The memory that was so vivid that it was unforgettable flies away to the other side of my thoughts.

The smell of burning corpses and buildings, the setting sun and the sunset, Adam who had changed so much, and Chloe who was guarding him.

Even if I went back to the past, there’s no way I could forget these things.

How much was I obsessed with that memory?

The examination administrator and several professors had already completely surrounded the area. Even though the opponent was a student, he was a 6th grader and showed no signs of letting his guard down.

“… … Adam.”

And at the end of the sword stretched out forward is Adam Keynes.

A person who approached me and helped me when I was struggling and being teased as a perennial last place student. A person I thought of as a benefactor.

But in the end, he became the destroyer of the world.

Since that ‘memory’, Adam and Chloe have been wandering around everywhere, causing countless massacres and deaths. I desperately chased after them, but they never caught me, as if they knew how I would move.

Then, in the end, he even overthrew the empire, which was the hegemon, by using the 8th-grade monsters in the western wilderness of the empire.

In a world that is in shambles.

After killing Chloe, Adam, whom I finally met… … …

Chaenggrang!

“… … … I was dizzy for a moment and had a hard time discerning. Sorry. ”

“Okay… … Okay, I understand. I’ll take the sword back for a moment.”

“Kaerin Desté is disqualified, but what about Ruth Spero?”

“According to the records of the servant horse, Kaerne Desté just charged unilaterally. Of course, Ruth Spero acted in self-defense.”

After dropping the sword, you can hear the relieved examiner and professors talking.

Milia and Beatrice came over to me as I sat down on the dirt floor.

“Ruth, are you okay?”

“Ruth… … ?”

“… … It’s okay. Sorry.”

“No, the youngest knight was at fault. Why did he suddenly rush in like that… … .”

“Yes, I think the evaluation that it is half-baked is right.”

Beatrice and Milia are saying something to me, but I can’t hear them. Behind Adam, a creepy murderous aura flies, not affecting the surroundings, but only towards me, but I don’t care.

I just.

Just blinking as if he still doesn’t understand English.

All I could do was look at Adam Keynes.

*

What the heck, why are you staring at me like that? Did I do something?

I looked at Ruth for a moment as she was being led away by a plain schoolgirl, then quickly turned my head away. After hearing the circumstances, I realized that this time it wasn’t the protagonist’s fault.

Instead, I called out to a female student with a familiar back.

“Your Highness Princess Beatrice?”

“… … … That, Adam.”

“Why are you doing that? Are you okay… … .”

“Don’t come near me!”

“Yes?”

“Right now, those… … clothes are dirty and I haven’t even washed them properly… … … .”

Oh, then I admit it. You must have had a hard time on a deserted island for three days, and I don’t want my friends to see you like that.

He looked elsewhere, taking into consideration Beatrice, who was hiding behind a tree and turning around.

“Anyway, is everything okay?”

“Yes, it’s okay.”

“That’s great. The exam will resume shortly, so rest first and then post.”

“Yes… … .”

Let’s leave Beatrice like that for now.

After Ruth pointed her sword at me, I desperately winked at the chairman who was about to run towards me.

I looked down at the full plate armor being dragged in with great care by the test administrator and professor.

“Student Caren d’Este, are you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you admit to breaking the rules and using force during the test?”

“Of course. The article doesn’t lie!”

“Then, as a knight, you must be proud of what you did.”

“Of course!”

good.

Did you clearly say it with your own mouth?

“Chairman, please.”

“Okay, Minister of Finance.”

“This, Chairman!?”

“Chairman! Are you here in person?”

“Exam administrators and professors, please clean up the area. I will talk to Kaeren.”

“”””Yes! “”””

The examination administrators and professors who didn’t want to be right next to the chairman hurriedly moved.

For some reason, Circe was terrified as soon as she saw the chairman, but I stopped her from running away.

Why did he do such a thing out of habit when he was so afraid of the chairman? Did anything happen to him afterwards?

Well, whatever happened is none of my business.

As the chairman, who seemed to be in a very bad mood due to Ruth a little while ago, approached Kaeren, Kaeren trembled all over.

If that gives you a thrill or a sense of triumph, then I’ll admit it’s real.

When you see them clanking together, it looks like it’s scary. It’s fake madness.

“Kaerin Desté.”

“ㄴ, yes!”

“You did a great job? When I reported to you, you said that you didn’t care about rules and even attacked Ruth with a sword attack. Is that true?”

“No!”

Hey, knights don’t lie.

The chairman was momentarily taken aback by the lie that was told without a moment’s hesitation, but soon frowned when the magic professor who operated the servant horse approached and whispered.

“You lie so shamelessly.”

“I’m sorry! I take full responsibility!”

“Since it’s my responsibility, I should pay compensation, right?”

“Yes? Oh, but according to the school rules, vandalism within the academy is… … … .”

“Does this place look like an academy to Kaeren students?”

“Ah.”

It is truly shameless to say that you will take responsibility for any damage within the academy, even though you know that it is a rule that the academy will repair it if necessary.

The youngest knight, Caerne d’Este, was also a character like that in . Rather than a straightforward knight, he was a rather cunning character with a very lively mouth.

However, even his smart mouth seemed to break down in front of the angry chairman.

“These islands in the Luftragina Archipelago are mine. Of course, not the Academy.”

“… … … … .”

“The center of the island was turned into a wasteland, and many trees were uprooted, so it would cost a considerable amount to compensate for everything.”

At the chairman’s words, Kaeren’s face immediately turned pale. Talking about money was Kaeren’s greatest weakness.

Kaerin d’Este, who was born a baronet, saves up all the donations and other money that comes to him in order to elevate his family to the rank of baron.

That’s why the game has the trait of being a cheapskate. If you pay the compensation here, your balance will be empty or it will be difficult to pay it all off.

… … Of course, this was something the chairman and I had planned.

‘This was an island that was originally abandoned, so what about compensation?’

Compensation? If it had been the previous chairman, I wouldn’t have cared at all. If it hadn’t been me in the first place, there would have been no reason to use this archipelago at the Academy level.

However, it was not my intention to cause such an accident and extort compensation. No matter how much I had to secure finances, the chairman, who was fundamentally concerned about the students, would not allow such a method.

I was just trying to cut down on the cost of the midterm exams, but I never thought I’d get caught up in something like this.

Even without the youngest knight, Kaerin Desté, he was one of the targets that I had been aiming for in many ways. So I was looking at various angles, but I had no idea that it would become like this.

From the moment I received a report from Test Manager Darkun that it appeared to be Kaern’s doing, I had already discussed it with the Chairman.

‘The chairman almost exploded because the main character suddenly pointed a sword at me, but whatever.’

Anyway, it was just a coincidence that things turned out this way.

The chairman brought up the previously promised words to the trembling Kaeren.

“But even if Kaeren is a promising young knight, it would be difficult for him to pay the compensation alone.”

“That’s right! I’m so sorry!”

“Then shouldn’t you talk to your guardian?”

“… … Yes?”

I’m not talking about Kaeren’s parents. They both passed away from chronic illnesses.

I’m not trying to be rude, but to Kaerne right now, a guardian means one person.

“Sir Julius, who appointed student Kaerne as a knight.”

“… … … !!!”

“Oh my goodness, that kid is now a Royal Knight. It’s amazing. After all, he appointed student Kaerin as a knight, so he should take responsibility for it.”

“Hey, Chairman!”

“Since Kaerne is disqualified anyway, send a letter to that bastard Julius as soon as you return to the port city.”

──Come to Grandis Academy as quickly as possible.

“That’s enough.”

“Ah… … .”

“And one more thing. I treat and care for all the students attending the academy equally.”

but.

“Students who break school rules at will and even try to take advantage of those rules.”

“… … … … .”

“You might start to hate it a little bit.”

Kaeren, with an expression on his face as if the world had collapsed, collapsed.

Circe also trembled all over her body after seeing the chairman’s smile.

I thought quietly about Sir Julius.

‘Sir Julius. A 7th-rank swordsman and disciple of Count Claudia. Current Royal Knight Commander… … .’

Despite being a knight, he has much more money than the average merchant or nobleman.

One of the richest men in the kingdom.

‘Money box… … no, Sir Julius.’

now.

I’m going to meet you.