"What on earth is going on here?!"
After returning to the Rabidus Hall from his lecture, he was met by an unwelcome—but expected—visitor.
"What is it, Berian?"
Looks like he did exactly what Aint told him to.
"Don't pretend you don't know! Why on earth did you tell Aint about me?!"
"Is that a problem?"
"Is that a problem? Are you seriously saying that right now?!"
"Berian Kalburden. Do you know who you're raising your voice to?"
Still, regardless of being the cause of this situation and understanding Berian's feelings, the hierarchy between them had to be made clear.
As Fernan furrowed his brow, Berian flinched.
"…I'm sorry, but still…!"
"But?"
"Didn't we agree not to tell anyone else? In exchange, I followed your instructions."
"You're mistaken."
Fernan leaned back in his chair.
"Mistaken?"
"To be exact, the agreement was that you wouldn't suffer any harm because of it."
"What are you talking about…!"
"When signing a contract, read every clause carefully, Berian Kalburden."
Sometimes, a contract could be sharper than a sword, stronger than a castle wall.
One sentence, even a single word, could mean the difference between heaven and hell.
"Still, be grateful that this particular contract isn't especially harmful to you."
"You're saying it's not harmful, even though the fact I was demonized is now known?"
Berian's expression screamed, 'What kind of bullshit is that?' Fernan understood his reaction.
It was only natural if you didn't know what was coming.
"Listen closely, Berian Kalburden."
"I've been listening very closely since earlier…!"
"With someone else, it might be an issue. But not with Aint."
"…And what's your basis for that?"
"You're already isolated in the department, and so is Aint. I want the two of you to face this hardship together."
And maybe, along the way, take down some vile entities, defeat some demons, and save the world together.
So Fernan wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.
"You know why I'm in this state, and you still say that?"
"Is that really important?"
"Then what is important?"
"What's important is that the recorder containing the moment you became demonized is in my possession."
"..."
Berian fell silent.
"And more importantly, that it could slip from my hands and end up with the Inquisitors at any moment."
"…Why Aint, of all people?! What if he reports me to the Inquisitors?!"
"He won't. Aint would never do that."
"How can you be so sure?"
Because Fernan had read Aint's heroic narrative and psychology through the prophecy book.
Through the recording Fernan showed him, Aint clearly understood that Berian was a victim as well.
And in such circumstances, Aint wasn't foolish enough to turn a potential ally into an enemy.
Especially since Berian was someone sent by Fernan.
Aint surely knew that if he turned Berian into an enemy, it could damage his relationship with Fernan as well.
"That thing on your shoulders isn't just for show, Berian. Use it."
"…Excuse me?"
"To give you one hint—Aint Armian is already hunting other vile entities. If you stay close to him, you might one day encounter the very one who turned you into this."
When that day would come, no one could say. But one thing was clear: Aint was a hero who attracted demons.
"…He already knows about the vile entities?"
"Yes."
"The one who did this to me?"
"You don't actually believe you got infected by demonic energy for no reason, do you?"
"…So you're saying I can catch them?"
"Of course."
For a moment, a glint of murderous intent flashed in Berian's eyes.
"…What exactly do you want from me?"
"Stay with Aint throughout your time at the academy. Do that, and I'll destroy the recorder."
"Fine."
There was no point refusing—Fernan wasn't the type to back down. And he couldn't unsay what had already been leaked to Aint.
Berian's gaze grew fierce.
"Now you look a bit more human."
Aint Armian had gained his first companion.
One completely different from those foretold in the prophecy.
When he woke up in the morning, there was a letter from his father.
Mithril, adamant, golems, demons, or vile entities—
There were mountains of topics to talk about, but this time, it wasn't about any of those.
[There's been a certain deal between Fridien and the Imperial Armian Academy.]
[Fridien has agreed to supply large quantities of items such as World Tree leaves and spirit stones, and in return, the Academy will provide…]
[Things of considerable value. Many of them are precious and must be handled with care. Because of that, they've officially commissioned the Golden Turtle Merchant Group…]
His eyes followed the contents of the letter down to the final line.
[The Fridien family has requested you to be in charge.]
"Hm."
Fernan tapped his desk lightly.
In short, it was simple.
There had been a covert deal between the Marquisate of Fridien and the Imperial Armian Academy.
In return, various goods like World Tree leaves and spirit stones would be exchanged.
Fridien had commissioned the Golden Turtle Merchant Group for their transport.
And they had specifically requested Fernan Pallenberg to oversee it.
'The first three points make sense.'
The Marquis of Fridien was still treated like an outsider among the haughty Imperial nobles.
No matter how many methods they tried, it wasn't surprising.
Commissioning the largest merchant group in the Empire, the Golden Turtle, for transport was only logical.
But the real question was the last part.
'Why me, specifically?'
True, Fernan had made a name for himself by jumping into fieldwork from a young age.
But it wasn't as if there weren't others in the Golden Turtle Merchant Group more qualified than him.
'They said if I can't be the lead, they at least want me to accompany the convoy. Is there really a reason I have to be involved?'
No answer came to mind.
He casually tucked the letter into a drawer and stepped outside. His morning lecture was just about to begin.
Today's class was "Study of Magical Beasts and Monsters," a joint lecture with the knight faculty.
The location wasn't a typical classroom, but the indoor arena.
Ten stages had been set up there—an excellent facility often used for large-scale duels or festivals.
The professors hadn't arrived yet, and students inside were chatting in groups, gathered with their designated partners.
Fernan spotted Ruina and sat beside her.
"You're late."
"The professor hasn't arrived yet."
"That means the professor is late."
Technically, it was one minute past the lecture's start time.
"I arrived exactly on time. That's not being late."
"You might try demonstrating the virtue of arriving early."
"Time is a resource that mustn't be wasted."
Ruina's brows furrowed ever so slightly, but she said nothing more.
Soon, the professors and assistants entered through the front door.
"We're a bit late, so we'll begin roll call right away."
Second-year Study of Magical Beasts and Monsters professor, Balmon Atra, called roll efficiently. No one was late or absent.
"As I mentioned last time, the theme of today's class is cooperation."
Tack tack tack. With a gesture, words appeared on the blackboard behind him.
"Some monsters and magical beasts are too powerful for one person to handle. Some have armor too tough for ordinary weapons to pierce. Some have high resistance to magic, making spells ineffective."
And some were just plain stupidly strong, or the students were simply too weak in comparison.
"We'll set the latter two aside for now, since there's no clear solution. What we can prepare for are the former cases—when you're fighting a monster that's the natural enemy of a knight or a mage."
The characteristics of monsters and magical beasts varied wildly, and each situation demanded a tailored response.
Knowing their weaknesses and traits made a world of difference.
"That's why you're taking this course—and why you've been assigned partners from your second year onward for joint lessons."
Since the Great War against the demons, cooperation between knights and mages had become the standard across the Empire—no, across the entire continent.
"Bring them out, will you?"
"Of course."
Ahem. Professor Harkon Pallas of Golem Magitech cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"There's probably no one here who doesn't know what these are. You might not have used them before, but you've surely seen your seniors use them at least once."
—!
A faint rumble echoed through the room. Heavy footsteps approached as ten dummies entered the arena all at once.
"These are the official dummies used by the Academy for practical training."
Their sizes and shapes varied. Each was modeled after a specific type of monster or magical beast.
Their frames were constructed from various alloys, with outer layers engraved with magical runes and spell circles.
Because they couldn't bring actual monsters into every class, these dummies had been created as substitutes. Fernan knew them very well.
After all, his family owned a few of them too.
"So those are the dummies."
"First time seeing them?"
"I've heard about them, but this is my first time seeing one in person."
"Those were made by the Order. They embedded each monster's traits and abilities directly into them with magic."
But more important than that—
"They're ridiculously expensive."
Built by the continent's most renowned Order at the Academy's request, with no concern for cost—they were the result of throwing every resource into a single project.
Which meant they were indeed ridiculously expensive. But they were worth it.
They were durable enough that most people couldn't even scratch them.
'Though they're not invincible.'
Even if the traits were perfectly replicated, they couldn't move organically.
So normally, a mage would control them from the side.
After all, they were still technically a kind of golem.
"Now then, I assume you all understand what you're supposed to do from this point?"
"Yes."
"We understand."
"Eventually, everyone will have to do it, but… is there any pair that wants to go first?"
In these kinds of mock battles, it was usually best to hang back and observe before jumping in.
"I'd like to go first."
"…Ruina?"
Before Fernan could stop her, Ruina was already striding forward.
Seeing her expression, Fernan realized—rarely for her—she was genuinely excited.
"Ruina Bertcheff and Fernan Pallenberg. Good initiative. Now, nine more teams."
Pulled along in the moment, Fernan followed her and whispered,
"What are you doing?"
"A new battle is always exciting. I've never fought with a dummy made by the Order before."
"There's not much to it. If you expect too much, you'll just be disappointed."
While these dummies were enhanced with magical engravings to replicate the traits of monsters and magical beasts, they were ultimately still controlled by humans.
Expecting lifelike, organic monster movements would be asking too much.
"That's a little disappointing."
As they chatted, the rest of the pairs stepped forward as well.
"Hmm?"
Fernan tilted his head as he looked over the lineup: Ludger and Almon, Carlo and Alia, Daisy and…
They were all top-ranked pairs.
'Is this rivalry?'
Considering all their eyes were fixed on Fernan and Ruina, that was probably the case.
"This just got more interesting."
Ruina seemed to pick up on it too, her lips curling into a small smile.
"Everyone, take your positions."
The pairs climbed onto their respective dueling stages, and the dummies stood opposite them.
When he saw the hulking mass over three meters tall, Fernan clicked his tongue.
"Ruina, Fernan—you'll be facing the Goliath dummy. What's the Goliath's key trait?"
A fully-grown Goliath was a monster that reached about three meters in height, its entire body encased in rock.
'Great, we got the troublesome one.'
"Its body is hardened stone, so it's resistant to physical damage. And the sheer power of its brute strength isn't to be underestimated either."
"Correct."
Not that it had low magic resistance, either.
Its body, like a blend of rock and metal, had a natural resistance to most spells.
"It has strong physical and magical resistances. But that doesn't mean it's unbeatable. If you've paid attention in class, it's actually easier to defeat than you'd think."
"The same applies to all monsters. Each one has unique traits and weaknesses—remember them and adapt accordingly."
"For reference, all dummies have been further enhanced by the Order. If you go in expecting a normal monster, you're in for a rough time."
Once the professor finished speaking and signaled the start of the match, the dummy's eyes began to glow.
"Ruina, you know what to do, right?"
"I'll hold it in place. You aim for the back of the neck."
The Goliath's weak point was the back of its neck. It had the thinnest outer shell there, and a proper strike could deal significant damage.
"No, I'll hold it down. You go for the weak spot."
"That's not—!"
Just then, the dummy stomped the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the Goliath closed the distance and swung a massive fist at Fernan.
—!
There was a thunderous crash.
But between Fernan and the Goliath's fist, a knight stood, sword glowing with aura.
"How were you planning to draw its attention like this?"
Ruina didn't wait for his answer—she immediately slashed at the Goliath's arm.
Her blade clashed against its thick wrist with a clang, but the Goliath didn't seem fazed.
At that moment, dust and dirt exploded outward in all directions.
"Who said I was drawing its attention?"
Magic circles began to appear in rapid succession. Rocks, gravel, sand, and soil poured forth with overwhelming force.
By the time the deluge of earth filled and overflowed from the stage, the dummy was buried.
"What I meant was holding the dummy in place."
Under normal circumstances, Fernan couldn't keep up with a dummy that fast.
But in the confined space of the training arena, it didn't matter—he could just flood the entire area.
His magical prowess was average, but being a merchant's son, he'd been consuming all kinds of elixirs since childhood. When it came to mana capacity, he was confident.
—!
——!
The dirt obeying Fernan's will wrapped around the dummy, clinging to it and hardening.
The Goliath dummy thrashed, trying to escape, but the more it struggled, the more the mass of earth clamped down like a swampy prison.
And eventually—
"…I didn't think this was possible."
Buried in earth, sand, gravel, and stone soaked in Fernan's mana, the dummy froze like a broken golem.
"It's the surest and simplest method. Anyone with enough mana can do it."
All he had to do was dump mana into it—nothing fancy.
"…Isn't that the hardest part?"
"Just finish it already."
Ruina strode forward and stabbed the Goliath in the neck. The spell circle activated, and the dummy powered down.
"Fernan and Ruina pair: Goliath dummy cleared in 53 seconds."
The assistant called out the time with a stunned expression.
Naturally, they were in first place.
"…Already?"
"Is that even allowed?"
"Holy crap…!"
"How much mana does he have?"
"No wonder he ended up paired with Ruina…"
The flood of awestruck stares and emotional responses, Fernan met with calm composure.
Honestly, with a bit more time, they could've done it the textbook way. But the reason he went with this method was, of course—
"Impressive. I thought I'd already seen most of your skills as your partner, but you never fail to surprise."
Although—
"…It's a bit disappointing. I wanted to fight it myself. But a win is a win, so I won't complain."
To win the favor of Ruina Bertcheff—the academy's top student, huh? Hmm?
"…Disappointing?"
That reaction… wasn't quite the praise he expected.