Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!
Arch-nemesis.
Upon hearing that word, I swallowed hard.
‘The Hero Party of Salvation…’
In the chaos following the Destruction War, the Hero Party emerged miraculously just as the world was on the brink of collapse, helpless against the invading Demon King Army.
While they failed to slay the Demon King, they succeeded in sealing him and, importantly, in closing the massive gate of the Demon World that had invaded the world, thus earning the title of the Hero Party of Salvation.
Even now, there exists a massive statue honoring them in the Empire, which speaks to their stature.
And…
“That damned skull bucket…”
In front of me stands Argen Isis.
This person is one of the figures depicted in that statue.
“Somehow… it feels oddly nostalgic and yet fascinating…”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, just think about it… the great magician who was once part of that hero party is right in front of my eyes… Yes…”
At my words, Argen’s expression twisted.
…
Did I step on a landmine?
“Are you making fun of my old age?”
Gulp…
“Y-Yes? A, no! Not at all!”
How could I possibly think that?!
I wildly shook my head, expressing my genuine innocence as I shouted.
Argen, still glaring at me, eventually relaxed her expression and chuckled.
“Don’t worry, I was just joking.”
“Ah… phew…”
I thought I was going to faint…
More than that, I didn’t expect her to be the type to joke around…
No, she looked genuinely annoyed to call it a joke…
– By the way, where did that grandmotherly manner of speaking go?
“…What?”
“Ha, ha…”
Grandmotherly?
Now that I think about it, her tone did seem different.
– You used to insist on speaking in a way that made you seem like an adult in front of the kids, didn’t you?
“Ah…”
Only then did she seem to realize something was off, briefly widening her eyes before suddenly turning her head away.
What the…?
“Still, isn’t calling me a grandmother a bit too much…?”
– You are, after all, a grandmother.
“Do you want to d*e? I’ll shut you up!”
– …
Is this really a conversation between individuals who were part of that Hero Party of Salvation…?
It’s confusing…
“Well anyway… getting back to the point, you must have realized from the moment I called it a ‘skull bucket’ that it’s an undead creature. Specifically, it’s a lich, the highest tier of undead.”
“A lich…”
I believe I’ve heard that, normally, only powerful magicians with abundant magic power can become liches…
Wait a minute.
“Could it be… that a high-ranking member of the Demon King Army was once human?”
“Right. I can’t say for sure, but he must have been human from a time long before mine. Now he’s just a damned skull bucket boasting about being the lord of Nastron, having forgotten all memories of his human past, bragging about how inferior humans are, and so on.”
“Uh…”
That’s harsh…
Those words came from a girl with pink hair who had a generally cute impression, yet sounded quite rough.
She really despises him that much…
“Anyway, now that we know what he’s done, there’s only one thing left for me to do.”
Argen smiled as she said that.
“Um… what do you plan to do next…?”
I suddenly felt uneasy.
“Well, it’s something I’m hesitant to tell a student, but… since you’re this generation’s hero, it’s good to know. First, I plan to apologize as the dean and announce it to the world.”
“Wha?!”
Hold on.
Isn’t that the complete opposite of what Aria wants?!
“It can’t be helped. The rumors about this incident have already spread throughout the academy, so hiding it is pointless at this point.”
“That’s…”
That’s a valid point.
As soon as I walk around the classroom, the discussions surrounding this incident are everywhere.
“And… I also feel a great deal of regret towards this generation’s saint, and more than anything, I must take responsibility for allowing this attack.”
That seems too harsh to be called Argen’s fault.
Though I thought that, Argen was speaking as if it were only natural to accept her responsibility.
Right, I understand that in theory.
Even if the demon attack is akin to a natural disaster, it is clearly the fault of those who are meant to prepare for such calamities if they failed to do so.
“Of course, there will be some chaos, but… right now, it’s more important to unite together.”
“Yes…”
“Don’t worry. Classes will proceed as usual.”
As she said that, Argen popped a candy from her hand into her mouth and smiled at me, then bent down to pet my head.
Due to the height difference, it was a rather silly sight of Argen standing on her toes to pat my head, yet it evoked no laughter from me.
“You did well. I’m really sorry for putting you through this.”
The expression on Argen’s face as she spoke was unmistakably sad.
—
“Ugh…”
In the hospital room, illuminated by gentle sunlight streaming from the window, a woman with blue hair reminiscent of the sea sighed deeply while looking down at the girl before her.
‘Again… another demon attack…’
What on earth are the professors at the academy doing to allow two attacks by demons?
It’s not as if they were forced through a breach; they were completely unaware of the attack, making their negligence even more grievous.
What’s more, unlike the incident during the entrance ceremony, this occurred during an exam, so it couldn’t be hidden; naturally, the stories about the demon’s attack had already spread far and wide throughout the academy.
Though it had been declared that the war against demons was about to resume in the Holy Kingdom, in truth, even though demons had reappeared, it was merely dismissed as an ancient tale by the people of this era, so they thought there wouldn’t be any issues, yet here we are.
Moreover, the incident during the division exam would inevitably prove to be particularly damaging for the academy.
She had only heard bits and pieces, but many were demanding that Argen take responsibility for the incident.
There was also the issue concerning the child of the Rakhar family, who had been mentally shattered.
While the exact reason isn’t known, he was reported to be in a state of mental collapse from the moment he was discovered, and even now, he suffers from nightmares as a consequence, far removed from his usual vanity.
Stella didn’t know much about that man, but she could at least understand why things ended up that way.
After all, she had just recently experienced something similar.
“What in the world happened…?”
Naturally, she had no idea what transpired at that time and place.
The surveillance magic they had employed was long undone, and the event had reportedly occurred not in some forest but within the boss monster room of an artificial dungeon.
All she could speculate was that this foolish saint had once again faced off against demons alone.
It was impossible for her to know otherwise.
The man named Albert could only repeat apologies to Aria, unable to provide proper answers about what happened.
One peculiar detail was that he seemed to suffer seizures every time he saw his right hand, but even that only led to speculation that he had lost his arm and that Aria had somehow restored it.
In fact, they said that when Aria was discovered, she was missing one of her arms.
It was fortunate that no one had perished and everyone survived despite yet another attack by demons.
“Aria…”
What does Aria truly think of me?
From her perspective, I might just be an ordinary friend, but to Stella, she was much more. The first friend she made, and someone who felt like family…
No, calling her family might be disrespectful to Aria.
While Stella thought that, Aria’s own thoughts were a mystery.
“Why do you go this far…?”
Stella brushed Aria’s forehead with a gloomy expression.
When would this saint, who still looked at peace while sleeping, ever care for herself, disregarding the worry that filled Stella’s heart?
Initially, she had no particular interest in the saint and all that.
However, even if it was just for a day, the warmth Aria had shown her sparked an interest that had never been there before, compelling her to repay Aria’s protection by diligently studying magic once more.
To others, Aria’s divine powers seemed like blessings, but to her, they felt like a curse.
Having to endure injuries in place of others every time she healed someone?
Not even having the freedom to choose if she lived or died.
A girl bearing the harsh burden of becoming the Demon King’s Slayer thrust upon her by the gods.
That was Aria.
People saw Aria as the embodiment of the goddess, the devoted saint, the saint of miracles, showering her with a multitude of flattering titles, yet for Stella, the sight of those people felt exceedingly disgusting.
It looked to her like they were just trying to shift their responsibilities onto Aria without confronting the disaster.
Even with such a heavy and profound duty on her shoulders, Aria still wore a bright and kind smile, ultimately saving yet another life and lying unconscious on the third day.
Is this really as it should be?
‘…’
If I could, I would love to confront the gods.
Why must they inflict such suffering upon Aria? Why did they have to choose Aria instead of anyone else?
But if the demon king is a calamity bestowed on the living beings in this world, then it is inevitable that those beings must overcome it.
Although it’s unclear what the gods are thinking, they must have had a reason to choose Aria.
So…
‘There has to be magic that can minimize Aria’s suffering…’
And in order to stand alongside Aria to help fight the Demon King, there was only one path left to take.
‘I must become a great magician…’
That was the only way left for her.
